Controls News 13
12
Main theme: Lean automation |
Technology
The decisive components of any automation system
are its underlying automation devices. They can only
serve as a sound and stable foundation for lean auto-
mation if they are based on a lean technical concept.
Only then is it possible to achieve a truly lean overall
system of automation, instrumentation and control
for a property. The ideal lean target – half the number
of qualified staff with double the automation at no
extra cost – is only achievable with lean automation
technology. This is clearly shown by a case study.
For the automation of any property, its individual de-
vices, machines, system sections and buildings need
core automation functions: instrumentation/auto-
mation, control and operation/management.
Lean Technology = PLC+Web+ IT
This «magic» formula combines the best of all worlds in every automation device,
making them functionally stronger and better. Automation systems built on this basis
will be leaner as a result.
Author: Jürgen Lauber
Symbols of the core
functions of automation.
Instrumentation/automation,
control and
operation/management.
Structure of a dedicated controller:
a dead end in terms of function and hardware, cut off from the
external environment because of proprietary communication.
The stability and safety of the whole system is only
as good as its weakest element, i.e. the weakest ele-
ment determines the maximum possible strength of
the whole system. An impressive example of this is
the 34 km long Lötschberg tunnel in Switzerland. The
control engineering was in some places so weak that
after only three years of operation the tunnel auto-
mation system had to be renovated at a cost of 15
million euro (see page 50).
Much of the control and automation equipment in
various plant installations comprised dedicated con-
trollers, some of which were non-programmable. A
thick proprietary layer around their actual control
functions made external access impossible and so
prevented connection to higher-level systems – a
functional dead end. «Cheap in Mind», minimal elec-
tronics led to many pseudo error messages. There
were also far too many genuine failures among the
over 1000 installed devices.
After three years the whole tunnel automation
system had become hard for the operator BLS AG
to run at a reasonable cost.
When renovating the tunnel automation system,
a decision was therefore made to follow the lean aims
described above. «Cheap in Mind» was no longer the
orderoftheday.Eventheinternalstructureofthenewly
installed automation devices and control system is
rigorously «lean».
The controller directly integrates not only logic and
control functions, but also all management and serv-
ice functions for the corresponding machines and
system parts.
Built-in device functions are no longer hidden be-
hind a proprietary barrier.
Lean Technology requires
each device to have its
own management and
visualization applications
on board.
Each device is completely transparent in communi-
cation with its surroundings. Standardized web+IT
functions have been integrated to provide a bridge
between control and management functions and
the external automation and operating environment.
These web+IT functions are open, internationally
recognized and work safely and reliably. The various
protocols and server standards (FTP, HTTP, SNMP, etc.)
have also been included functionally as the Automa-
tion-Server (see page 92).
Dedicated controller
as weakest link in
Lötschberg Tunnel
instrumentation /
automation
control
operation /
managing
not freely programmable
Case study automation/
control technology:
34
km Lötschberg Tunnel
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