FLOW, LEVEL & PROCESS CONTROL FEATURE BE PART OF A DIGITAL EVOLUTION


Paul Trevitt, UK & Ireland operations & engineering manager, Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, looks at the evolving concept of Industry 4.0 and how it can offer advantages in process control scenarios


A


lmost every industrial process is capable of adopting aspects of the


fourth industrial revolution, the interconnection and digitisation of products, business models and value chains, otherwise known as Industry 4.0. As more manufacturers and businesses adopt the principles and more common protocols are implemented, so the benefits become more accessible. Properly implemented, Industry 4.0 will


create a more connected process control system that has the potential to improve productivity. In fact, PwC, one of the world’s largest professional services companies, conducted an extensive survey of over 200 German industrial companies, and showed an expectation that productivity will increase by 18% over the next five years. Despite only 20% of the companies having initiated a new investment in digital controls at the time of the survey, 85% of them expected to have introduced Industry 4.0 solutions within five years. There are already large amounts of data produced by machinery, which is then transmitted to a higher level device for interpretation. As the data is used by an increasing number of processes and controllers, so it becomes essential that the production process uses a universal communication protocol. This enables a free flow of information across the manufacturing site and helps expand the automated system in the future. Many industries, especially heavily


regulated ones such as pharmaceuticals, are required to record large amounts of data from their manufacturing processes, including precise records of water quality which form a crucial part of compliance with industry standards. However, increasing levels of data can begin to restrict transmission speeds which ultimately could affect productivity. This can be mitigated by the use of modern field devices and their controllers, which are becoming more intelligent and increasingly making intelligent decisions locally, reducing data traffic and speeding up decision making. In the past, data collection may have been achieved using a wide range of sensors, whereas now this can be automated along with continuous data analysis rather than batch sampling. This improvement in data acquisition has come


about due to advances in design technology and a reduction in costs, which have made the latest sensory technology available to a much wider audience. Having captured so much process data it


is important to use it effectively. In terms of process control, data from flow measurement, temperature, pressure, pH and many other sensors can now be analysed local to the process and displayed graphically. Any anomalies can be flagged at the most appropriate location, even remote to the production site if necessary. Network connections can be used to


transmit both production information and details about process parameters that have fallen outside the required specifications. In this way process control is kept at a local level, with only alarms and critical data being sent further afield. However, the real advances have been in


the integration of process controls into the overall concept. Modern designs of input/output (I/O) modules allow sensors and actuators to be combined within the same network using standardised signals. This enables control valves to use instant feedback signals from local sensors to improve the accuracy of control.


The flexibility of systems such as EDIP enable the hardware, software and communication of a wide range of process control equipment to be standardised (above)


Smart sensor cubes can measure pH, chlorine, conductivity, oxidation- reduction potential (ORP) and turbidity (above, left)


By way of an example, Bürkert has


developed its efficient device integration platform (EDIP), which enables intelligent networking down to the sensor and actuator level. This protocol combines and standardises the hardware, software and communication of Bürkert products. Communication between the EDIP devices takes place using an interface based on the industry standard CANopen with additional features. Continuing this example and the


importance of water quality, it is now possible to capture a range of sensory data using a compact and efficient analysis system. Bürkert’s Online Analysis System Type 8905 uses a set of smart sensor cubes that can measure pH, chlorine, conductivity, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and turbidity. The use of a graphical interface makes interaction with the analysis system easy to understand and offers almost unlimited process control functions. When used in conjunction with process control valves and flowmeters this arrangement can be seen as a decentralised control arrangement, which can reduce the workload of the central controllers and that of the bus system itself. The flexibility of systems such as EDIP


The Online Analysis System Type 8905 can be used to reduce the workload of the central controllers


/ PROCESS&CONTROL


enable the hardware, software and communication of a wide range of process control equipment to be standardised and their actions to be combined to deliver a bespoke solution for each process. Furthermore, the common interface simplifies expansion plans and allows them to be implemented quickly and efficiently. As we continue to explore the possibilities that are being created by ‘Industry 4.0’ it is important that the investment in new equipment and processes is matched by the benefits to the overall business. That said, waiting too long to implement more efficient processes and improved information technology may allow the competition to take advantage.


Bürkert Fluid Control Systems www.burkert.co.uk


PROCESS & CONTROL | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2019 11


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