To meet the rising demands of automation, Siemens has further developed its Simatic PCS 7 process-control system and released Version 8.2, which comes with a range of new functionalities to improve not only user convenience but also the performance and efficiency of the process control system over the entire life cycle of process plants – from the planning stage through to maintenance. Plant engineers will also benefit from more efficient engineering solutions, while operators will find the system even more convenient in daily operation due to greater system availability and lower overall running costs.
To allow production processes to run with the greatest possible stability and efficiency, Version 8.2 of Simatic PCS 7 offers individual, networked and reliable plant monitoring. Web systems can now also be operated and observed over the Intranet/Internet with Simatic PCS 7, for instance. For this, operators can use extensive configuration possibilities for individual and secured online access to the operating and monitoring level of a production plant, enabling the implementation of benefits such as remote control room concepts.
The integration of mobile terminals in Simatic PCS 7 has also been extended. This allows information such as production characteristics, trend or alarm functions to be viewed at any time from any location using smartphones or tablets.
Simatic PDM (Process Device Manager) supports plant-wide access to field devices. Diagnosis, maintenance, parameterization, configuration and commissioning can be performed by mobile terminals with standard browsers and by any optional computer within a system. By enabling the parameterization of field devices, the PDM solutions help improve servicing productivity.
The new version of Simatic PCS 7 supports operators with a new range of search and visualization functions: one of these is the measuring point browser, which accelerates the selective search for measuring points with relevant plant information. The Operator Trend View tool depicts the process sequence in the form of trend graphs for a rapid overview, helping the operator achieve optimized plant monitoring and process control. The group view visualizes existing measuring points, making operation faster and more intuitive for plant personnel.
The new Logic Matrix plays a key role in ensuring efficient plant engineering. It allows the efficient switching of interlock statuses in a production plant in compliance with the cause and effect principle. The Logic Matrix can be efficiently processed, exported or imported with Microsoft Excel. Mass data engineering has also been substantially extended, which substantially reduces the work entailed in compiling PCS 7 documentation.
Siemens, www.siemens.com