THE TIME IS RIGHT TO EMBRACE UNIVERSAL AUTOMATION
Schneider Electric welcomes ‘The Road to Universal Automation’ report from ARC Advisory Group (ARC), that asserts the EcoStruxure Automation Expert, based on the principles of universal automation and the IEC 61499 standard, is “both a highly productive control system design tool and a harbinger of a coming era where automation software reaches new levels of portability and hardware independence.” Universal automation, the world of “plug
and produce” automation software components, will make software a portable asset capable of boosting efficiency, resilience, productivity, agility and sustainability of industrial operations, according to the report. The report finds that, “a standardised
automation system layer would be immensely valuable in economic terms.” For example, end users across industry spend $20-30 billion each year to service the installed base. A substantial part of that spending could be avoided through a standardised automation layer, saving valuable engineering time by eliminating vendor lock-in and opening the door to automation innovation. “Far beyond the cost savings,
standardisation would enable highly skilled process engineers and technicians to focus more on production improvements and impacting business variables rather than merely rewriting legacy code,” the report noted. Emerging software tools and technologies will enable a future of software- defined automation systems. “Today’s demands for greater
manufacturing flexibility, productivity and agility call for the industry to build on the success of the ongoing cloud-native revolution in IT software. By decoupling hardware and software in industrial environments, organisations will be able to automate and control the design and management of operations, fulfilling the promise of Industry 4.0. This is the gap that Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Automation Expert – today's state-of-the-art commercial IEC 61499 development system – is designed to close,” said Harry Forbes, ARC Advisory Group. “This, combined with Schneider Electric’s vision and commitment to the value of open automation software, provides a significant step forward for universal automation.” The report also noted that there are “several
major ongoing industrial initiatives today to promote this new world of open automation software and the portability of industrial control applications. One of these is The Open Group Open Process Automation Forum
(OPAF), which seeks to define a highly standardised reference architecture for process automation systems. ExxonMobil provided the initial impetus for OPAF and continues to invest in the technology. Notably, ExxonMobil works on open automation in its own laboratories and test beds.” Bradley Houk, Senior Engineering Advisor at
ExxonMobil Research and Engineering, said: “Schneider Electric has been a long-time partner in the effort to develop and demonstrate open process automation technology, including by supplying their IEC 61499 software for use in our open process automation test bed. ExxonMobil believes the IEC 61499 standard, as demonstrated by Schneider Electric, has several advantages that support the industry’s need for portable applications.” Another recent study, ‘A Quantitative
Comparison of Digitized Industrial Automation Systems’, found that EcoStruxure Automation Expert saved 68% of engineering hours compared to current automation engineering systems – savings that ARC believes would be worth several billion dollars annually if it could be applied across the installed base of automation. Savings are likely to be more dramatic throughout the full plant lifecycle. The report sees IEC 61499 as “a key
software technology for the definition and management of control system configurations,” enabling open source and commercial products working together. Universal automation will enable an industrial control system to be modeled and developed as a single integrated system and yet deployed as a distributed system, boosting progress and productivity. “Advances in machine learning, augmented
reality, real-time analytics and the IIoT hold great promise for industrial enterprises and manufacturers to meet the demands of today’s agile and digital world,” said Fabrice Jadot, Senior Vice President, Industrial Automation Incubator, Schneider Electric. “Adopting new and innovative software
functions in a seamless and controlled manner ensures their automation systems are continuously current. Universal automation will enable that and more, spurring industry- wide innovation. Think of it as the dawn of an Industrial Automation App Store.” Schneider Electric believes the time is right
for a bold move, and is calling on industrial users, vendors, OEMs, systems integrators and EPCs across industry to embrace universal automation and IEC 61499.
www.se.com
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.aquameter.co www.aquameter.co.uk
THE RIGHT MACHINE FOR THE JOB
Portable Vacuum Solutions has recently rented an IBS FVP25HS vacuum machine to a company involved in the biomass industries. In addition to the rental, the company has opted to purchase a Depureco M65 vacuum system for every-day maintenance. As the spillage of woodchips was fairly significant,
the company chose to hire the hopper mounted version of the IBS FVP25HS. This particular configuration is designed for 1 tonne big bags. Once the bag is full there is easy access for removal by fork-lift. The Depureco M65 will be used for keeping the
generating hall and other parts of the plant clear of wood dust, ash and hydrated lime. This is a rugged, highly manoeuvrable, low-noise vacuum system which features a HEPA filter and a jet filter cleaning facility. Portable Vacuum Solutions also supplied a high-level cleaning kit for difficult-to-reach areas of the factory. Portable Vacuum Solutions has a hire fleet in excess
of sixty machines and is also the UK’s distributor for the range of Depureco vacuum machines. With many years of experience in dealing with every type of project from accidental spillages to routine maintenance, staff at PVS are able to advise on the most suitable vacuum machine for the project.
james@ibsblowers.com
/ PROCESS&CONTROL
PROCESS & CONTROL | NOVEMBER 2020
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