Feature Process automation
Open for business sucess R
Manufacturers exposed to FMCG markets should examine the benefits of an open, software-based automation engineering framework to help them stay competitive, maximise operational efficiencies and underpin production flexibility, says Gary Provis from Siemens Industry Automation
egardless of the current chal- lenging economic outlook, it is clear that manufacturing busi- nesses in all sectors but espe- cially those in the FMCG arena are having to react to changing market forces and competitive demands that are driving asset efficiency objectives. The knock-on effect of market glob- alisation - with companies seeking shorter turnaround timescales for increasingly complex product portfo- lios that can respond to local and international market needs - is forcing manufacturers to handle and manage increasingly diverse production chal- lenges and unprecedented amounts of information. You only have to think of the many format variations of well- known chocolate brands or different versions of the same beverage to realise that consumer demand for choice is here to stay.
Open engineering framework Against this type of scenario manufac- turing businesses are starting to realise that software and software-based engineering tools set within an open automation engineering framework, could be the answer to satisfying chal- lenging production requirements. Indeed, bringing about the integration of IT technologies and practices with production systems - all within a single software engineering environ- ment - is the way forward if manufac- turers are to utilise the full potential of automation technology and satisfy req- uisite manufacturing demands for speed, product choice and innovation. Until the advent of Microsoft's Windows operating system, industrial
application engineering tools had lagged behind developments seen in commercial applications. The availability of Windows-based engineering tools has enabled automa- tion suppliers to focus more on fea- tures and benefits - as opposed to software architecture - and assist the industrial sector to move towards the 'application suite' model already used extensively in the commercial world. Another key driver in the back- ground is the increasing number of modern engineers entering the workplace armed with knowledge and experience of modern software devel- opment and this factor is helping to drive the push to capture the benefits that can be derived from software- based engineering tools. New genera- tions of engineers have different expectations and approaches com- pared to industry veterans. However, current task-orientated engineering tools have traditionally been lacking when trying to solve issues confronting automation engi- neers on a daily basis such as the need to coordinate between multiple, com- plex control and monitoring systems in disparate environments.
Add to this a lack of options for simultaneous teamwork on large-scale projects and it is clear that the benefits inherent within an integrated soft- ware-based automation engineering tool solution offer real value to compa- nies in terms of speeding up produc- tion and maximising manufacturing flexibility to remain competitive. Productivity enhancements and operational efficiencies top the agenda when considering the value of engi-
The aim must be for a seamless
integration of data, visualisation and programming code across a variety of disparate
automation devices
neering tools within industrial appli- cations and an open engineering framework provides the key. In the commercial world, PC operat- ing systems have helped create a common 'look and feel' for applica- tions (text, graphics and numerical data) but do not offer a true single environment to truly integrate dis- parate media. Individual applications merely accept each data formats. For industrial applications keen to maximise the value of automation technology, the aim must be for a seamless integration of data, visualisa- tion and programming code across a variety of disparate automation devices. The key is to break down the barriers between applications by inte- grating them into a single engineering environment - a framework - and utilise this as a common platform to promote the easy integration of specific engineering tasks.
An engineering framework for automation tasks must have the ulti- mate objective of increasing produc- tivity by allowing more efficient use and re-use of common elements. In addition, the tasks within a framework must be intuitive, allowing the user to work productively and efficiently. The framework must crucially support efficiencies in the future such as embracing libraries of reusable objects created by users as well as linking with objects that can be purchased from future automation 'app stores'. An important distinction between a 'framework' and a 'suite of applica- tions' is that the framework provides a single common environment for all applications to enable a sharing of common elements. Unlike an office application suite, a framework mimics the final system by describing and configuring the various real world communications paths between devices. Engineer expectations of cur- rent industrial software now mean that it should be easy-to-use and require limited training commitment, thereby reflecting how modern engineers engage with software in other parts of their lives. The days of ploughing through a vast user manual are gone. Within a framework, each applica- tion is bound to have a different programme structure so creating a
30 AUGUST 2011 Process & Control
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