More flexibility in process automation

In process plants, the process control system is the starting point for optimal value added: All procedures and processes can be operated, monitored and influenced with the process control system.

The higher the performance of the process control system, the more effectively this potential can be used. For this reason, performance is in the foreground with SIMATIC PCS 7, alongside scalability, flexibility and integration. Starting with planning and engineering, SIMATIC PCS 7 offers powerful tools, functions and features for cost-effective and efficient plant operation through all phases of the plant life cycle.

Flexibility through integration

Integration is one of the special strengths of SIMATIC PCS 7. It has numerous aspects:

• Horizontal integration into TIA
• Vertical integration into hierarchical communication
• System-integrated tools for engineering tasks
• Integration of the field level, including drives, switchgear, etc.
• Integrated functions, e.g. for batch process automation, route control, process safety, energy management, telecontrol tasks, etc.

Horizontal integration

A system for integrated automation of the entire process chain, from incoming raw materials to outgoing goods – this is one of the decisive advantages resulting from the seamless integration of SIMATIC PCS 7 into Totally Integrated Automation.

The process control system is mainly responsible for automating the primary processes here, but it can do very much more: All ancillary facilities such as the electrical infrastructure in the form of low-voltage or medium-voltage switchgear or the building management system, can also be integrated into the system.

Integration of selected SIMATIC standard components – automation systems, industrial PCs, network components, or distributed process I/O – into the process control system ensures optimum interaction, and secures economic benefits such as ease of selection, reduced stock keeping, and global support.

Vertical integration

The hierarchal communication of a company encompasses the field level, the control level and the process level, up to management and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Thanks to standardized interfaces – based on international industry standards as well as internal interfaces – SIMATIC PCS 7 is able to provide process data for analysis, planning, coordination, and optimization of plant sequences or production and business processes – in real time, and at any location in the company.

Central engineering

Impressive features of SIMATIC PCS 7 include graded functional diversity, consistent operator control philosophy and uniformly structured engineering and management tools. A central engineering system with a coordinated range of tools for integrated system engineering and configuring of batch automation, safety functions, material transport or telecontrol systems creates value added over the entire life cycle. Reductions in configuring and training costs minimize the total cost of ownership (TCO) over the entire plant life cycle.

Functional diversity

Depending on the typical process automation or customized requirements, the SIMATIC PCS 7 functions can be expanded by the following, for example:

• Batch process automation (SIMATIC BATCH)
• Functional safety and protection functions (Safety Integrated for Process Automation)
• Route control for material transport (SIMATIC Route Control)
• Telecontrol of remote units (SIMATIC PCS 7 TeleControl)
• Automation of electrical switchgear (SIMATIC PCS 7 PowerControl)

Further additional functions that are also integrated or can be integrated, seamlessly into the control system make optimization of processes and reductions in operating costs possible. SIMATIC PCS 7 features, for example, tools for energy and asset management and it offers higher quality closed-loop control functions, as well as industry-specific automation solutions and libraries.

Custom automation

Thanks to its unique scalable system architecture, SIMATIC PCS 7 provides the ideal basis for cost-effective implementation of individual automation solutions and economic operation of processes.

SIMATIC PCS 7 users derive sustained profit from a modular system platform based on standard SIMATIC components. Its uniformity enables flexible scaling of hardware and software, as well as perfect interaction both within the system and beyond system limits. The architecture of the SIMATIC PCS 7 Process Control System is designed in such a manner that instrumentation and control can be configured in accordance with customer requirements and optimally matched to the dimensions of the plant. The control system can be subsequently expanded or reconfigured at any time if there is an increase in capacity or a technological modification. When the plant grows, SIMATIC PCS 7 simply grows along with it – without the provision of expensive reserve capacities!

Flexibility and performance in engineering

The workflow in engineering for process plants is and remains a challenge: Multiple participants, many different data formats and multiple interfaces frequently result in transmission errors and system discontinuity and thus to greater time input and costs. Information generally gets lost or needs to be corrected manually when data exchanged between multiple disciplines.

For the first time, a fully integrated solution is now available for planning and documenting plant projects: the SIMATIC PCS 7 Plant Automation Accelerator. Customers benefit in particular from consistent engineering without system discontinuities between automation planning and the control system. The object-based approach of the SIMATIC PCS 7 Plant Automation Accelerator allows you to work on a central data platform, ensuring fully integrated planning – from plant engineering through to automation – based on an electronic workflow. This workflow ranges from planning to issuing offers, including bills of materials, the automatic generation of process control data for the SIMATIC PCS 7 process control system from electrical engineering, to controlled mass data engineering and direct as-in documentation of the plant.

This modular engineering approach increases overall project efficiency and minimizes risks. High standardization and simple configuration also save time and costs in engineering during the implementation phase. Simple synchronization between planning and engineering avoids duplicate input and interface losses and reduces project runtimes.

Flexibility in operation

Process control is also becoming increasingly complex due to the multi-layer nature of automation engineering and increased merging with information technology. Intuitive and fault free operation is therefore more important than ever with regard to efficient working and the minimization of downtimes and servicing requirements. Using effective Advanced Process Control (APC) functions and an excellent operator system, SIMATIC PCS 7 supports both optimization and user-friendly, safe control of the process. Monitoring of product quality and performance indicators additionally allows the process to be operated more economically. SIMATIC PCS 7 excels with its flexibility, plant availability, and investment security.

Process control and maintenance

The SIMATIC PCS 7 operator system is used to monitor process operation using various views, and permits interventions when necessary. Its architecture is flexible and scalable – from single-user systems up to multi-user systems with a redundant client/server architecture. The operator interface takes account of the current specifications of NAMUR (user association of automation technology in the process industries) and PI (Profibus International) and offers a high level of user-friendliness for simple, intuitive interaction with the plant. Ergonomic symbols, task-oriented faceplates, uniform representation of status information, and optimized alarm functions allow safe process control.

The alarm management function integrated in SIMATIC PCS 7 is able to focus on essential alarms and to specifically guide the operator in exceptional circumstances. In this way, it systematically reduces the workload of operating staff.

Preventive and predictive maintenance strategies reduce total cost of ownership. With the SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station, maintenance personnel always have a watchful eye on critical production equipment such as pumps, valves, distillation columns or motors, and can carry out the relevant maintenance measures in good time before servicing is required – independent of the maintenance plan and without the risk of an unscheduled plant standstill.

Process optimization

SIMATIC PCS 7 supports process optimization in many different ways, including:

• Control Performance Monitoring
• Advanced Process Control
• Process Historian

The Control Performance Monitoring function monitors and signals the control quality of the closed-loop control block. If the performance declines, the controller can be optimized in good time or specific maintenance measures can be initiated.

The integrated I&C libraries of SIMATIC PCS 7 also provide higher quality closed-loop control functions with which cost-effective Advanced Process Control applications can be implemented: Multi-variable control, predictive control, or override control. It is thus possible to effectively improve profitability, product quality, safety, and environmental protection in small and medium-sized plants.

Current and historic process data form the basis of all optimization. Secure and user-friendly real-time data storage and analysis is handled using the Process Historian. The process values, messages, and batch data managed in the database of the Process Historian can be called extremely rapidly. User-specific processing and visualization of this historic data are supported by the information server, which is a reporting system based on the Microsoft Reporting Services.

SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.0 – Room for new perspectives

The new version of our established SIMATIC PCS 7 process control system is another building block for the digital enterprise.

SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.0 facilitates the route to digital transformation for the process industry – step by step. With its hardware and software innovations, the new version of our established process control system makes the step into digitalization even more secure and easier to plan.

SIMATIC PCS 7 is based wholly on PROFINET. The leading international Industrial Ethernet standard represents the high-performance real-time communication required in the era of big data, right into the field. Rapid, reliable, redundant and high-performance, PROFINET gives our customers new options for integrated diagnostics, monitoring and evaluation of their data. It also enables flexible and easily scalable network structures and enormous costs savings throughout the life cycle thanks to a huge reduction in cabling required.

These benefits are also reflected in the hardware innovations with SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.0: The ultra-compact, high-availability new SIMATIC ET 200SP HA and SIMATIC CFU device lines support PROFINET – thus ensuring far greater freedom in plant planning and operation.

Of course, we all use digitization in our SIMATIC PCS 7 software innovations: our digital software portfolio and digital services for process automation therefore have and continue to be part an ongoing strategic development process, not least in the light of cloud applications.

The result: SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.0 offers our customers room for new perspectives – and greater flexibility in process automation.