Electricity + Control November 2015

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION

ROUND UP

Extended machine lifespan and increased reliability Simatic Migration Services enable companies to migrate to the latest Simatic technologies.This makes their legacy automation systems future-proof, increases plant availability and extends ma- chine lifespan.The services are designed for manufacturing customers in all discrete automation industries. With Simatic migrations services, customers can retain Siemens ' experts to perform the entire migration. The quick and simple changeover can be achieved through standardised migration offerings, which range from consulting and conception, through the implementation,

testing and commissioning to the handover of the new system, including technical training for the personnel. Precise planning mini- mises both the risks of migration and the scheduled downtime for the implementation. The services can be tailored flexibly to match a company’s requirements. Both partial and complete migration of systems and machines are possi- ble.Within the scope of the service, Siemens experts support users, in particular with the migration of ap-

plication software from Step 7, Protool orWinCC Flexible projects toTIA Portal projects. If required, frequency converters and Motion Control systems can also be modernised. Companies that take advantage of Simatic migration Services benefit from a smooth migration, long-term spare part availability, integrated diagnostic functions that speed up fault correction, and reduced downtimes. Modern Simatic technology and network infrastructures also enable efficient interoperability of all components and greatest transparency across all levels: relevant information is available anywhere in the plant at any time. This increases the availability of machines and systems, as well as making them future-proof. Enquiries: Keshin Govender. Email keshin.govender@siemens.com Collaboration on solution for oil refineries Yokogawa Solution Service Corporation and Cisco Systems GK have collaborated in providing a new solution for oil refineries that makes use of their respective information and industrial au- tomation technologies.This platform integrates production, quality, progress control, and other information technologies with the control systems that are used to monitor and control production processes in real time, ensuring that facilities can be efficiently rebuilt and modified. It also im- proves the efficiency of corporate management by making it easier for information to be accessed by information management systems. As a result of a review of Japanese national energy policy, a new law known as the Sophisticated Methods of Energy Supply Structures Act was passed that requires the oil industry to make more efficient utilisation of fossil fuels. To accomplish this, oil refining companies are now consolidating their refinery operations, as part of which they must also reestablish and reconfigure their control and information systems.This requires an environment where control, MES, and ERP systems can be quickly built or reconfigured, and where various types of complex data can be accessed in an integrated and flexible manner at each system level. Features of the new solution The solution improves efficiency by structuring and standardising a plant’s control and information systems as well as the data handled by these respective systems. This improves the portability of data, establishes a framework that facilitates the integration, construction, and modification of all of a plant’s control and information systems, and creates an environment with industry-leading security for all communications and information management. This is true not only for a plant’s own control and information systems, but also for links between plants. In addition to facilitating the consolidation of a company’s refinery operations, this solution is useful in the installation and expansion of plant facilities, and can deliver the same benefits. This collaboration of Cisco andYokogawa Solution Service will not be limited to the oil-refining sector. Enquiries:Tel. +27 (0)11 831 6300 or email Christie.cronje@za.yokogawa.com