Reviewer details
Name: Ebrahim Akoob
Position: technical advisor - Electrical
Company: PPC - Mafikeng Slurry Plant
Phone: +27 (0)18 644 8179
E-mail: [email protected]
SI details
Name: Kevin Theron
Position/software designation: Engineer
Company: ITMatic
Phone: +27 (0)12 654 8870
E-mail: [email protected]
Product details
Product name and version: Adroit Version 7.0
Vendor: Adroit Technologies
Phone: +27 (11) 658 8100
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: www.adroit.co.za
Application details
Industry: Cement
Location: Slurry, North West Province
Application: Cement manufacture
Server OS: Windows Server 2003
Client OS: Windows XP
Application statistics
Tag count: 3000
Updates per day: 77 760 000
End-user responses
General
Q: Briefly describe the application including information on any pre-existing system
An existing PLC and scada system were upgraded as a new coal process was being introduced. The PLC was upgraded from a Siemens S5 to a Siemens S7 and the scada upgraded to Adroit 7.0. As part of the project, new standards were introduced to incorporate fault finding information for drives, helping operators and technicians to perform fault finding of drives via the scada.
Licensing, maintenance and support
Q: What licences have been purchased for this application?
An unlimited scan point system with 14 remote clients and Siemens Ethernet licence. Opus was used to develop the production reports for the Clinker Process.
Q: What upgrade agreements are in place on this application?
Upgrades are covered under an annual maintenance agreement. PPC Slurry bought an all-inclusive package which includes free licensing, upgrades and support to operators via telephone, fax and e-mail. This licensing also provides access to support tools, driver and software updates, patches and special prices on a variety of training courses.
Q: How is the after-sales support handled on this application?
After-sales support is done telephonically or via e-mail by Adroit Support. This is sufficient in 90% of cases. In extreme instances Adroit and ITMatic provide support technicians to assist on site.
System architecture
Q: Is the scada system integrated onto an intranet or the Internet? If so, what level of remote monitoring and control is configured?
The scada is available to the various on- and off-site managers and personnel on request. OPUS is available via the intranet. Slurry Production information can be viewed at the PPC head office via OPUS.
Q: Do you run the scada in conjunction with any third-party application software (Other than MES)?
No.
Management reporting and integration
Q: Does the application include data archiving/historian capabilities with an historical data reporting system?
Adroit data-logging is used. Additionally all environmental data and production report data are logged to SQL.
Q: Is the system integrated with an MES/ERP or other management reporting or control system (eg, Baan, SAP, SYSPRO, …)?
This will be done once SAP is rolled out.
Q: Have any production benchmarking tools been configured as part of the scada system?
OPUS provides a benchmark reference to the supervisors for production monitoring.
Q: Has any asset management functionality been configured in the application (for software assets, control system assets or for plant assets)?
No.
Q: Has any GIS (Geographic Information Systems) functionality been configured in the application?
No.
Conclusion
Q: In the procurement decision making process was the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) considered?
No.
Q: What was the predominant feature (or features) that made you decide to purchase this scada product for this application?
There is an installed base of the selected Adroit and Siemens products on this PPC plant. Operators are accustomed to the ease of navigation on the scada. Technicians are also fond of the flexibility and processing power of the Siemens S7-400PLC and Adroit SCADA and the interfacing between the two. The flexibility and ease of use of the scada software tools and templates was also a factor.
Q: What single feature most impresses you about the product now that it is in operation?
The user-friendliness of the software.
SI responses
Project details
Q: Approximately how many man-hours did the scada configuration take?
230 man hours.
Q: What human factors were taken into consideration in the HMI design process?
A clean process overview was decided on with informative pop-ups. Replica views were created of the plant to ensure ease of training and use of control.
Q: For the graphics development process did you use standard library images, or did you have to draw images from scratch?
Both.
Q: How would you describe the library of graphic images?
The library consists of standards in the PPC Group for Adroit. Wizards were used for analogs, marshal agents and PID agents.
Q: Did you use any ‘special’ images (eg, photographs, 3D images, specialised dashboards, etc.)?
A Siemens power meter image was created for the Siemens power meter unit that is connected to the Siemens PLC.
Q: Did you use any video or multimedia technology used in the application?
No.
Q: What alarm management standards or best practices were adopted in configuring the scada system?
Each new project is allocated a new filter group. This is to sort each section of plant and to keep track of tags for each section of the plant. Each process section was allocated its own alarm route, alarm list and alarm event file.
Q: What structured processes were followed to determine expected performance under full load, and during abnormal failure conditions?
None.
Q: What are the key physical communication layers and communication protocols employed in the system?
The Siemens PLCs are connected via Ethernet over a fibre optic backbone. The CEM Scanner communicates to Adroit using OPC.
Q: What levels of redundancy are incor-porated in this scada application?
The network layout is configured with redundant routes to each PLC. Scada redundancy is in the form of Adroit Clustering.
Q: What specific custom code or scada scripts were written for this project?
None.
Security and data protection
Q: How have authentication, authorisation and role management been configured?
The existing system has an Active Directory Server that Adroit uses for its security groups. There are six security groups: operators, managers, foremen, supervisors, technicians and engineers. Each user has a username and password configured on the Active Directory.
Q: Does the design make provision for a DMZ and firewall segregation of process (scada) network and business networks?
A Siemens Scalance security module acts a firewall separating the business LAN and the industrial network.
Q: What configuration back-up and data archive backup methodologies have been adopted?
There are automated daily backup procedures that backup the scada and save it to a backup computer. Each week an automated backup procedure backs up the backup to an IT file server that gets backup as part of IT backup procedure. We are presently looking at a fully automatic backup system like MDT or versiondog.
Q: Did you use any integrated or third party configuration control system for the scada configuration during the engineering of this application?
No.
SI conclusion
Q: How would you rate the ease of use of the historical reporting system?
OPUS reporting is fast.
Q: What impresses you the most about the engineering/configuration aspects of the product now that it is in operation?
The concepts used in development are extremely user-friendly and efficient, no high level qualification is needed.
Vendor responses
Product
Q: Vendor comments on product/modules?
Adroit Version 7 open interfaces include: OPC (Server and Client), OLE Automation, ActiveX, API, and OLEDB. Adroit is a reliable data acquisition and visualisation platform. Advanced logging with the local historian and SQL are easy to use. The system also has MES capability with auditing and configuration management.
New modules include:
* Alarm Management and Analysis. Advanced alarm management technology aimed at reducing operator workload, increasing efficiencies, minimising downtime and identifying problem areas within a process.
* ASI (Adroit SCADA Intelligence). Builds intelligence from raw scada data by connecting the relevant attributes of a process to raw data, so that it can be easily reported and/or analysed.
* MAPS (Mitsubishi Adroit Process Suite). Enables engineers to create the entire scada system and PLC project structure using best practices.
Operating systems/VMWare
Licensing, maintenance and support model
Q: What sort of licensing agreement options are offered?
Each scada machine is licensed using a USB Hasp and this can be bought in the size required, from the smallest 75 scan point application up to a 1500 scan point Hasp.
Q: Are licences sold outright or subject to periodic (eg, annual) renewal?
Licence is a once-off purchase for a version.
Q: What upgrade agreements are offered?
Upgrades are covered under an annual maintenance agreement.
Q: What after-sales offerings iro support and maintenance are available, and which technologies are used to deliver them?
As standard the website and telephonic and e-mail communication is used for support. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) can be tailored to suit client needs. On-Site, dial-in and periodic support can be contracted.
Technology incorporated
Management reporting and integration
Q: What native historical data reporting options are available?
Adroit allows customers to store data into MS SQL and either use OPUS or Reporting Services to build reports.
Q: What product specific interface does the product have iro well-known MES packages?
Adroit has an OLEDB connection and can consume Web services. There is no certified connection to ERP.
Security and data protection
Q: What authentication, authorisation and role management models are available?
Adroit utilises the services offered by the operating system.
Unique selling proposition (USP)
Q: List the top five feature/benefit pairs that contribute to this product’s USP?
* Reliability: For added security Active Cluster Redundancy is easy to set up.
* Resource friendly and scalable: A single server will handle large systems (>1 000 000 I/O) with logging, trending and alarming.
* Great value benefits: SNMP (for network management), OEE built-in, Advanced Alarm Management, OLEDB. Customers do not have to buy large and expensive third party tools.
* Open Architecture: Easily integrates into line-of-business applications.
* Cost effective: Locally supported.
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved
printer friendly version