Future-proof process control

The new version supports the use of mobile devices, providing quick access to information and enabling fast decision-making directly on-site

A process control system must be flexible and versatile enough to handle plant processes for many years. With Version 8.2 of Simatic PCS 7, Siemens is taking the next logical step into the future of process control.

A process plant is often operated for 20 years or more. It may well undergo many modifications during that time as it’s upgraded, modernized, and adapted to new requirements. Merging several plants into one is also common. A process control system should be capable of handling these changes and adapting flexibly to new situations.

The Siemens Simatic process control system has been controlling process plants in a wide variety of different industries for exactly 20 years. The development of Simatic mirrors the general technological progress in the field. The system has regularly proved itself to be a highly reliable solution that combines traditional values with groundbreaking innovation. Today Simatic is controlling the automatic processes of over 22,000 plant installations worldwide.

With the launch of Simatic PCS 7 version 8.2, Siemens has remained true to its philosophy, once again providing the process industry with all the essential attributes: an open system architecture with standardized interfaces which can also be seamlessly integrated into safety-related or redundant structures. Moreover, the scalability of PCS 7 makes it attractive as a solution for plant installations with 100 I/Os as well as for complex manufacturing systems with up to 200,000 I/Os.

Availability in focus

The availability of a process plant is one of the key criteria determining its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In this respect, too, PCS 7 has been fulfilling all the key requirements for years. For example, all components can be configured redundantly – regardless of whether they communicate with the system via HART, Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus or Profinet. That is true for SIL3 applications as well as for installations in Ex zones.

Sophisticated asset management additionally permits monitoring of all field devices in order to detect critical operating states before they can cause plant downtimes. That supports proactive preventive maintenance concepts, which have proved an effective means of safeguarding plant availability at a consistently high level.

Steps toward Industrie 4.0

The increasing use of Web technologies has permanently changed the way process plants work. With the new Simatic Process Device Manager (PDM) client/server concept, for example, field devices can be managed remotely from the control room. This can be done using mobile devices to run or parameterize any field device on site via a simple Web interface.

Version 8.2 of PCS 7 supports the use of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices independently of their operating system or the installed Web browser. This allows alarms to be visualized and reset, trends to be displayed, or specified plant data to be accessed with KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), for example. Shift managers, I&C technicians or loading supervisors can respond rapidly and locally, taking well-informed decisions thanks to data that is always up-to-date.

User interface reconceived

An enhanced user interface now allows operators to view exactly the measuring points within their area of responsibility. Measuring points can be filtered by status. That improves on-site transparency and provides for continuous plant optimization.

Version 8.2 also permits measuring points to be grouped directly from the process screen. This way, operators can group the key measuring points for specific operating scenarios, providing a much clearer overview of the corresponding process data. Additionally, trends can now be compiled in a user-friendly way, presented graphically, and compared directly against each other.

Intuitive engineering

Factors determining the total cost of ownership of a process control system also encompass configuration, engineering, and implementation. This is where the new Simatic Logic Matrix delivers even greater time savings and transparency. It assigns precisely defined responses to specific process events in a matrix table based on the principle of cause and effect. The software then automatically generates the corresponding CFCs (continuous function charts), including the connections to the measuring points involved. It is a method that makes even complex states transparent, and so plays a key role in reducing the number of potential errors.

Factors determining the total cost of ownership of a process control system also encompass configuration, engineering, and implementation. This is where the new Simatic Logic Matrix delivers even greater time savings and transparency. It assigns precisely defined responses to specific process events in a matrix table based on the principle of cause and effect. The software then automatically generates the corresponding CFCs (continuous function charts), including the connections to the measuring points involved. It is a method that makes even complex states transparent, and so plays a key role in reducing the number of potential errors.

Bulk data engineering features have also been significantly upgraded in PCS 7 version 8.2. The creation of function, system and schematic diagrams is now supported, for example, considerably reducing the effort and expense of drafting system documentation. The Simatic Management Console provides a central inventory function for all hardware and software components, including all version data. The results are complete, customized inventory lists, providing a reliable basis for replacements and updates for example.

Standardized data model

Simatic PCS 7 version 8.2 highlights more than ever the significant benefits of a standardized data model throughout the system. This digital data base enables flexible operator control concepts as well as enhancing plant efficiency throughout the lifecycle. It starts with the engineering and extends through to ongoing plant management. It also means flexible concepts such as for virtualization, remote maintenance, and preventive maintenance can be realized.