SCADA & DATA ACQUISITION FEATURE


MAKING BETTER USE OF DATA IS KEY TO IMPLEMENTING IIoT


Bert Baeck, CEO, TrendMiner, describes how modular, on-demand subscription software combines search patterns to help users unlock the information they need from their process data


were able to use their deep knowledge of process operations to create “pattern search-based discovery and predictive- style process analytics” developed for the average user. The multi-dimensional search capabilities of this platform enable users to find precise information quickly and easily, without expensive modelling projects and data scientists. Often called Google for Industry, this


software works by connecting to existing historian databases then implementing a column store database layer for an index. This software makes it easy to find, filter, overlay and compare interesting time periods to search through batches or continuous processes. Moreover, this next generation solution


I


t’s hard to believe that some manufacturers are still using technology


that is at least 30 years old. Many of these systems work well for what they are meant to do, collect and store data and monitor systems. However, these systems alone will not help industrial companies meet the challenges of today’s global market. Although there are several reasons for


this situation, the perception that change is too difficult and expensive is the leading cause for companies to remain hesitant to take advantage of the new opportunities promised by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). A recent LNS Research survey of over 400 manufacturing executives showed the vast majority of companies do not have plans to invest in IIoT technology in the near future. Unfortunately, these executives are often looking at old technologies that have been tweaked to try to take advantage of IIoT opportunities. The good news is there are affordable technologies developed specifically for the Internet Age that work with existing systems to help manufacturers gain insight into process behaviour that translates into fast ROI. SCADA systems were originally designed to collect data and monitor processes. Since they generate such enormous amounts of data, historians were added to store this data. Industrial companies recognised the data hidden in their historians could provide valuable information on plant processes and


production, but accessing and utilising the data could be very difficult, as historians weren’t designed for “read” purposes or a two-way transfer of information. Manufacturing execution systems (MES)


were introduced in the early 1990s in an attempt to bridge the gap between plant floor SCADA systems and enterprise ERP software. While they offer more advanced capabilities than SCADA systems, they are expensive and often require extensive engineering to be implemented. When we consider the amount of time and money industrial companies have spent on traditional software, we can understand the reluctance of some manufacturers to enhance their systems. To really take advantage of the IIoT, companies need next generation solutions that were developed for that purpose. As mentioned earlier, while historians


hold a wealth of valuable data for improving operations, accessing that data and turning it into actionable information has been time consuming and difficult. Many applications were based on data modeling, which required extensive engineering and data scientists to perform. As a result, only mission critical applications were targeted, leaving many untapped opportunities. In 2008, engineers from Covestro (then


known as Bayer MaterialScience) knew there had to be a better way to leverage time-series data. They worked with different types of analytics models and identified their limitations for scaling-up beyond pilot projects. Eventually, they


/ PROCESS&CONTROL


Figure 1: Combining live data with historical context shortens the analysis latency to immediate, providing an opportunity to take actions even before an event can affect process performance. Companies now have the option to enhance the value of the investment they have made in high quality historians. Low cost predictive analytics solutions that


complement their existing historians enable


companies to better use the data collected by historians to provide valuable business insights


enables users to search for particular operating regimes, process drifts, operator actions, process instabilities or oscillations. By combining these advanced search patterns, users unlock the true information they need. For example, an operator compares multiple data layers or time periods to discover which sensors are more or less deviating from the baseline, then make adjustments to improve production efficiency In addition to easy search, this new technology provides process data contextualisation and predictive analytics capabilities. Engineers and operators can provide annotation to provide greater insight. Its predictive analytics capabilities enable an early warning detection of abnormal and undesirable process events by comparing saved historical patterns with live process data. Moreover, the solution calculates the possible trajectories of the process and predicts process variables and behaviour before it happens. This gives operators the ability to see if recent process changes match the expected process behaviour and pro- actively adjust settings when it does not. This free predictive process analytics


(discovery and predictive) also employs a modern business model: online subscription pricing. In addition to making process analytics affordable to all companies, this eliminates the need to spend time and money on adding additional licenses and upgrades. Each time a user logs in, they automatically get the latest version of the software. With an affordable, plug and play


solution to uncover new areas for improving operation efficiencies, the question becomes why more businesses aren’t using software that is created for the IIoT generation. The future is here and companies can no longer operate solely using existing systems if they want to stay competitive in this new world.


TrendMiner www.trendminer.com


PROCESS & CONTROL | MAY 2017 35


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