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IIOT & SMART MANUFACTURING
FEATURE
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF DATA
Luis Duran, global product line management, ABB, explains how future process control can unlock the full potential of plant data
C
omputing power is driving the next industrial revolution, with companies looking to harness extra processing
capacity via a combination of Cloud and Edge computing. And if computer processing is the engine, data is the fuel – technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning need access to quality data to deliver the expected business benefits. The processing power needed to deliver these new, data-based applications, may be cloud-based in central server farms or distributed in Edge computing devices. However, at the heart of the data flowing into, out of, and around a manufacturing plant, sits the distributed control system (DCS). Legacy DCS technologies can make it difficult
for operating companies to engage fully with data flows across the wider industrial Internet of Things (IoT). This may be because older systems are proprietary, for example, or for security reasons. Whatever the case, confining plant data in isolated silos can leave users struggling to reap the anticipated benefits of data-based solutions. Now, industry is calling for an approach to
future control systems that can bridge this gap between the DCS and the wider IoT.
ANSWERING THE CHALLENGE The future control architecture has powerful proponents, such as the Open Process Automation Forum (a.k.a. OPAF) and NAMUR. Both bodies advocate a two-domain approach, which separates core control and automation functionality from a broader digital environment,
where non-time-critical monitoring and optimisation functions can take place. In line with this, ABB envisions a robust,
evergreen core at the heart of the new architecture, which provides the reliable, real- time plant control users have come to expect. An evergreen design also allows DCS systems to evolve and meet changing demands via a series of incremental changes, rather that forcing operators to replace their control infrastructure every few years. Meanwhile, an extended, digitally enabled
environment facilitates faster innovation and continuous performance improvements. This is where the next generation of applications based on AI and data analytics reside. The aim is to grant them secure access to a constant stream of high-quality data from the core and elsewhere.
A MODULAR CONCEPT In the core, there have been industry-wide efforts to shift away from the conventional DCS model of monolithic automation systems designed to control an entire production site. Instead, the new open standards favour the use of flexible, service- oriented modules, that are each designed to carry out a relatively narrow set of functions. These ‘plug and produce’ modules fit together via standardised, secure, communication interfaces to produce complex site-wide control schemes. Modular architecture aims to deliver faster
process implementations, unlimited capacity scaling and speedier process adaptations. Similarly, the extended digital environment is made up of virtual, modular, functional units bounded by cybersecure interfaces based on
OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) standards. These modules are automatically orchestrated to meet a range of performance and security expectations according to their function. The modular structure effectively decouples DCS hardware and software, since process controller and application software exist as functional modules, rather than being programmed to work with a specific piece of hardware. These modules can be deployed flexibly wherever they are needed, whether that is across purpose-built and industrial PC controllers, Edge devices, on-premises servers or cloud platforms. Each module can be modified without impacting on overall operations. This means that users should be able to take advantage of emerging technologies and solutions with minimal disruption to existing systems. Decoupling automation hardware and
software can also make life easier at the design and engineering stage of projects. Thanks to a combination of virtualisation, emulation and simulation technologies – all implemented in the cloud as a digital twin – engineers can perform virtual application testing and commissioning before doing anything that could interrupt production in the real world.
SECURITY MATTERS There is an inevitable tension between the desire for more data openness and the need to protect data from bad actors. Crucially, the modular dual-domain approach is also secure. It effectively shifts the job of enforcing authentication and authorisation away from the network perimeter. Instead, a zero-trust approach must be adopted at the core. Components will be required to digitally prove their identity and originality, as well as their authorisation for specific tasks.
A BRIGHT PROSPECT Evolving DCS technologies to integrate more easily with applications in the cloud or on Edge devices will play a key role in building smarter and more productive industrial facilities for the future.
ABB
https://new.abb.com/uk
JULY/AUGUST 2023 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 39
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