PROCESS EQUIPMENT UPDATE


Engineering versus IT L


Jonathan Wilkins reports on a perfect storm for the process sector


ike strawberries and cream or gin and tonic, some things are just meant to be together. Yet many things that are forced upon each other can


also create outstanding combinations. As the worlds of engineering and IT continue to band together, what does this combination mean for the process industry? It is no secret that the engineering


sector has been heavily criticised for its reluctance to embrace change. Industrial components are often so rugged that many hold an expected life span of between 20 and 50 years. With longevity in mind, it is unsurprising that 90% of manufacturers continue to use this ageing machinery. However, in today’s climate,


such an extensive lifespan is not a given. Technology is advancing at a phenomenal pace and many industrial components are becoming obsolete in as little as three years. In modern factories and process


plants, the introduction of advanced IT is having more of an impact on component obsolescence than ever


before. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), the internet-enabled network of connected devices, is continuing to speed up the obsolescence process in industry. The crossovers between IT and engineering are clear. Process plants are using data centres to store production data. Technologies such as data visualisation, mobile and android-enabled devices are being implemented into industrial automation systems. Although embracing these technological advancements is necessary for organisations to thrive, at the same time, this is only advancing the speed of equipment obsolescence. However, it is not just hardware


feeling the force of obsolescence. In the world of IT, industrial software is also suffering and most of this software is likely to become obsolete or outdated in as little as a year. The vital difference is that an IT team can quickly download patches or enhancements to improve and upgrade software at any time of day, from any location. Industrial automation components are not as simple. For machinery, obsolescence


means a much more difficult choice of either sourcing a replacement or upgrading to a newer model. Much has changed since many


traditional assemblies were built decades ago. Back then, OEMs were responsible for producing the entire finished product. OEMs no longer have total control of their product lifecycle. Instead, various standardised protocols, outsourced manufacturing and the introduction of advanced IT have changed the engineering process completely. It will come as no surprise that


tensions are rising between the fields of traditional engineering and modern IT, but by no means should this indicate the two practices cannot work in harmony. Today, there is an ever-growing


number of plants that choose to maintain or retrofit older industrial automation systems, rather than upgrading to new models. There is no reason that plants cannot continue to use these traditional, Ethernet-based protocols with a physical connection to the operating system, while also embracing the convenience of industrial IT too. With these traditional assemblies, many organisations are simply supplementing automated infrastructure with new, mobile technology. Using an IIoT-connected human


machine interface (HMI), for example, will give engineers the convenience of access to historical and current performance of operating systems, even when the engineer is outside the plant walls. Through a tablet display, the HMI will do everything its traditional, stationary predecessor could, but with the added benefit of location flexibility and of course, compatibility with more sophisticated software. n


Jonathan Wilkin is with EU Automation. www.euautomation.com


Can traditional engineering and modern IT work in harmony? 6 www.engineerlive.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52