Control System World

The Siemens Industry Automation Division has expanded its offer for the development of PC-based automation solutions for series machine manufacturing with a Profinet driver for controller applications. With the driver, which is delivered as source code, it is easy for the user to implement individual Profinet communication solutions on a standard PC, for networking machines in a production line, for example. No special hardware is required for this communication solution since the driver utilizes the conventional Ethernet interface to be found on standard PCs. The Profinet driver is also suitable for standard operating systems and is configured via an open XML interface. Engineering tools such as the TIA Portal (Totally Integrated Automation) can provide support for the user here. The new driver supports Profinet with real time (RT) and achieves cycle times of as little as 1 ms when using a real-time operating system.

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The Siemens Industry Automation Division has developed a new IO-Link master for its Simatic S7-1200 controller, based on the current IO-Link specification V1.1. The IO-Link master is a module of the S7-1200 controller and connects field devices to the controller via IO-Link. The field device parameters are automatically backed up in the controller. If the field device has to be replaced, all the parameters are automatically transferred to the new component, so the user does not need to back up the data. The new IO-Link master supports the rapid COM3 mode, provided as an option in the standard device, for short response times or for handling extensive data sets, as well as supporting devices with V1.0 IO-Link specifications.

Thanks to the industry-wide IO-Link standard, switching devices and sensors can be connected to the control level with a low-cost point-to-point link.

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ABB, the global power and automation technology group, has announced version 6 of its flagship distributed control system (DCS), System 800xA.   System 800xA is known for delivering productivity through consolidating process, electrical, safety, and telecoms in one system and providing the ultimate high performance operator control room environment featuring the Extended Operator Workplace. This sixth generation release, commonly called 800xA v6, is not only for new projects but has been specially developed to support upgrades of older DCS systems running on unsupported platforms such as Microsoft XP operating system. 800xA v6 provides customers with a more secure automation environment that lowers the total cost of ownership, while providing countless opportunities to improve productivity.

800xA v6 will add to an already impressive list of leading security features such as Advanced Access Control, White Listing, and means to monitor and manage the control system’s security integrity.

“The most exciting part about upgrading is seeing what you can do with System 800xA v6” says Roy Tanner, Marketing Manager for 800xA. “System 800xA’s collaboration platform and its built in functionality allow you to tackle money saving initiatives and implement productivity enhancing solutions for a fraction of the cost of adding third party software and hardware. In addition to alarm management, advanced control, video systems, safety, electrical integration, power management, and a host of other embedded capabilities, System 800xA v6 adds:

• Wireless routers to its portfolio, enabling the safe and secure deployment of mobile operator clients, maintenance workplaces, and even process controllers.
• New ways to visualize, curate, and analyze data with the addition of the System 800xA Collaboration Table providing a 3D view of plant key performance indicators.
• A new information management platform enhancing secure connectivity to 800xA so that data can be safely gathered and used for mining and analysis.
• A list of operator effectiveness improvements including trend and alarm list enhancements, an embedded public address system, and a KNX interface that brings the operator’s environment into the overall solution.

The Guardmaster® 440C-CR30 Software Configurable Safety Relay is flexible, cost-effective, and easy to use. This relay is ideal for applications requiring as many as nine dual-channel safety circuits and controlling as many as five output zones. You can configure this relay using the Connected Components Workbench™ software.

Machine builders can now easily implement required safety functions while improving productivity with the Allen-Bradley Guardmaster 440C‑CR30 safety relay from Rockwell Automation.

Users can program the safety relay through the free Connected Components Workbench software from Rockwell Automation. Connected Components Workbench software reduces programming time and helps increase productivity by allowing users to create, control and monitor a safety system in the same software environment as their standard control. The Guardmaster 440C-CR30 safety relay meets PLe, SIL 3 per EN ISO 13849-1 and IEC 62061. It is ideal for applications requiring four to nine safety circuits and control of up to five zones.

“Machine builders across all industries are seeking safety solutions that go beyond meeting compliance requirements to helping significantly increase both configuration and operation productivity,” said Thomas Helpenstein, product manager, Rockwell Automation. “The flexible, compact Guardmaster 440C‑CR30 safety relay configured via Connected Components Workbench software meets their needs for improved safety, uptime and productivity.”

The distinct graphical user interface and drag-and-drop capabilities of the software help guide users through a simple process of selecting certified safety function blocks for the safety relay. Once programmed, an embedded Modbus interface allows the safety relay to easily communicate diagnostic data to Allen‑Bradley Micro800 controllers, Allen-Bradley PanelView graphic terminals or Allen‑Bradley CompactLogix controllers. Leveraging the embedded communication capabilities and the software allows users to easily monitor, troubleshoot and quickly modify their applications, including performing partial or conditioned shutdowns, as needed. Five status and 16 user-configurable LEDs on the safety relay’s faceplate provide local diagnostics to further aid in status reporting and troubleshooting.

With 22 on-board safety I/O points, including six configurable I/O, the Guardmaster 440C‑CR30 safety relay is the ideal solution for applications requiring multiple safety zones. Without growing the footprint, the safety relay also can be expanded with two standard Micro800 plug-in modules to support 16 additional standard I/O points, saving valuable safety I/O points for user safety systems. The safety relay also permits interoperation with multiple standard-control platforms, enabling the safety control to remain the same even if the standard control changes.

Technip, in partnership with China HuanQiu Contracting & Engineering Corporation (HQC), has been awarded by Basra Gas Company (BGC*), a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for Ar Ratawi Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) train1 project at North Rumaila in Basra Province, Iraq.

The project is the first of the new greenfield associated gas processing facilities that will significantly minimize gas flaring in Iraq and make more energy resources available for power and domestic use– an NGL train with nominal feed gas capacity of 530 million standard cubic feet per day. The standalone facilities will produce liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), NGL and condensate for domestic markets.

The scope of work covers the basic engineering design package of the NGL process units, utilities and the submission of an engineering procurement and construction (EPC) package.  Technip’s operating center in Abu Dhabi will execute the project, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014.

Vaseem Khan, President of Technip in the Middle East, declared: “This award reflects Technip’s strengthened position in the Middle-East market, following several previous awards. We are proud to bring our specific technological edge and licensed innovative solutions to the downstream industry, while leveraging our 30 years presence in the region.”

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that its subsidiary, Yokogawa China Co., Ltd., has received orders from Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Co., Ltd.* (Yanchang Petro) to supply Yokogawa control systems for two groundbreaking oil plant construction projects in China. Both of these plants will employ KBR’s Veba Combi-Cracking (VCC) process, an advanced technology that is capable of converting petroleum residues into high quality gasoline and diesel oil products.

The first of these project orders is for Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Co., Ltd. Oil-coal New Technology Corporation, a Yanchang Petro subsidiary that is constructing an advanced coal/oil co-processing pilot plant. This plant will convert coal and refining residues into diesel oil and other high value-added products, and will have an annual production capacity of 450,000 tons. The second order is for phase 1 of a project by Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Anyuan Chemical Co., Ltd., also a Yanchang Petro subsidiary, that involves the construction of a coal tar hydrogenation plant. This plant will produce light and heavy paraffin oil from coal tar. When completed, this plant will have an annual production capacity of 1 million tons, making it one of the largest plants of its type in China.

Under the terms of its contract with Yanchang Petro, Yokogawa China will provide the CENTUM® VP integrated control system for both projects as well as engineering and commissioning services. The two plants are scheduled to start operation in June 2014.

In China, Yokogawa has a strong track record in providing control systems for use in large-scale chemical and petrochemical plants and has supplied Yanchang Petro with numerous control systems, field instruments, and analyzers. Yokogawa’s success in winning this order from Yanchang Petro can be attributed to the reputation of our control systems for being highly reliable and our rich engineering experience and ability to provide appropriate engineering services on time.

Naoto Kousaka, vice president of Yokogawa China, had the following to say about these orders:　“In China, ever greater attention is being paid to the need for the highly efficient and comprehensive utilization of hydrocarbons. KBR’s VCC process plays a very important role in this. Yokogawa’s proven technology and strong track record in providing solutions to Yanchang Petro were key factors in the winning of these control system orders. With our highly reliable control systems and field instruments as well as our ability to provide quality engineering and other services, I believe that Yokogawa is well positioned to make a significant contribution in enhancing China’s production of high quality diesel products.”

MatrikonOPC™ has recently announced the release of the MatrikonOPC UA Proxy, which makes it easy for companies to take advantage of the next generation OPC standard – called OPC Unified Architecture (UA) – while continuing to use their existing OPC classic architectures.

While the OPC UA standard is backward compatible with classic OPC from a data perspective, it uses different technologies to establish connections and to transmit OPC data. By using the UA Proxy from MatrikonOPC, companies can easily bridge this gap making it possible for them to maximize their ROI on their existing classic OPC architectures while being free to start adopting the broad range of new OPC UA based product offerings.

"Companies using OPC classic have seen the benefits of adopting standards based data connectivity, see the additional value and reach OPC UA has to offer, but have concerns about how to go about tying the two technologies together. With the release of the UA Proxy, MatrikonOPC removes those obstacles – providing the first easy, reliable way to seamlessly combine these two OPC technologies." said Darek Kominek, marketing manager of MatrikonOPC.

Key features include:

• Streamlined setup workflow allows for connection in minutes;
• Easy to use, the smart defaults require minimal user knowledge of OPC UA;
• Eliminates traditional DCOM or firewall issues;
• Operates on Windows system server.

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Yokogawa Electric Corporation and Xybion Technology Solutions announce their collaboration on a white paper that shows how Yokogawa’s CENTUM® VP R5.03 integrated production control system can help users comply with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) 21 CFR Part 11 regulations on electronic records and electronic signatures. This is the latest in a series of white papers that Yokogawa and Xybion have drawn up on new CENTUM releases and a variety of other Yokogawa products and platforms, and it is being jointly released by the two companies on this date.

In the food and pharmaceutical industries, meticulous change control is required. The production control systems that are used in these industries must provide records identifying the personnel who carry out each operation, and when that operation was performed. To ensure that the U.S. pharmaceutical industry observes proper change control, the FDA issued the 21 CFR Part 11 regulations in 1997. This regulatory statute stipulated the requirements under which the use of electronic records and signatures could have the same standing as conventional paper records and handwritten signatures. Starting with CENTUM CS 3000 R3 and continuing on through to the latest version (R5.03) of CENTUM VP, Yokogawa has incorporated features and functions in its integrated production control systems that help users comply with these regulations.

Other regulations impose similar requirements. These include Annex 11 of the good manufacturing practice (GMP*1) regulations that were formulated by the European Union’s European Medicines Agency (EMA), and the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s (MHLW) ER/ES guidelines on the use of electromagnetic records and electronic signatures in applications for the approval/licensing of medical products. This facilitation of compliance with the FDA’s 21 CFR Part 11 regulations allows Yokogawa to offer its production control systems for food and pharmaceutical applications in these other regions. This is expected to also foster compliance with the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S)*2. Yokogawa’s provision of tools that help users comply with 21 CFR Part 11 will accelerate the expansion of its industrial automation and control business in the growing medical market worldwide.