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6 Critical Things to Know Before Implementing Wireless on the Plant Floor
 While the automation command “startup” may not be as historically significant as the dots and dashes of the Morse code “SOS” distress call, it is no less important to the day to day operation of the factory machine that won't go unless it gets the instruction to begin operation.
According to industry analysts, those instructions are being transmitted more often via wireless networks than ever before. In 2007, industrial customers bought some 2.7 million wireless enabled factory automation devices—predominantly rugged mobile computers, sensors and remote I/O—a number that is projected to almost triple to 8 million by 2013, reported Wellingborough, UK-based IMS Research in March 2009.
Much of this growth is driven by the reduced costs and faster start up times promised by wireless technology. If you don't need cables then you don't have to pay for them or install them, but it's not all as simple as it sounds... Read more
Automation Services Reduce Downtime for Manufacturers
 According to figures from ARC Advisory Group plant downtime costs come it at about $12,500 per hour. That's an average of course, downtime at some plants will be cheaper while others—especially continuous process operations like refineries—are much, much more costly.
“Downtime is a big concern because the cost associated with it is so high,“ says Larry O'Brien, a research director with ARC who specializes in process automation solutions, adding that a single incident at the aforementioned refinery can wipe out the plant's annual profitability. “If you have an unplanned incident and it takes you 10 days to get your plant back up and running again you can imagine how much you are losing”... Read more
SIMATIC Manager: The Software “Glue” for Totally Integrated Automation
 When Siemens unveiled its Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) approach to manufacturing in 1996 the concept didn't seem all that new or revolutionary at first glance. “Well that's just modularity,” some opined. However, they didn't understand the totality of the TIA vision which calls for both vertical and horizontal integration, defines the interaction of the software, the hardware and services and ties the plant together from the management level, through the operators and controllers to the field in a single, holistic automation solution.
The idea behind TIA was to tie all relevant areas of the plant together to streamline everything from design to commissioning to production and maintenance—to make it possible to do everything faster.
“Why can't you operate the plant from one console?” asks Siemens spokesperson Bob Harris. “We don't want to think about things as discrete components, each with its own management requirements. We want to think about things as parts of a single entity and address everything in relation to the whole”... Read more
Video Tutorials: Small Controllers solve Big Challenges
 Part 1 - Getting started with your first Simatic S7-1200 Compact Controller and Step 7 Basic Software
See how easy it is to configure, program, and test your first S7-1200 in less than 8 minutes. This is part one of a four part series showcasing the time and cost saving benefits of the new S7-1200 and its Step 7 Basic development software... View now |
