Custom-Flo Inc., of Cincinnati, manufactures skid-mounted pumping systems used in chilled and hot water production and delivery. Custom-Flo is often responsible for custody and delivery of chilled water and/or hot water in its customersâ facilities. The facilities automation manager is responsible for the final end use of the resources. As a result, tight integration between the building automation system and the systems provided by Custom-Flo is a standard requirement.
For more than four years, Custom-Flo has standardized the controls package for its pumping systems on a personal computer (PC)-based control platform. Custom-Flo chose this platform to provide its customers with a non-proprietary hardware and software solution that is not tied to Custom Flo. Should their future needs change, customers can go forth on their own. They can also upgrade to the next generation of PC technology and port applications to the next revision without having to rewrite them. OPC capability completes the customersâ open choices. OPC clients are built into the Custom-Flo system and OPC Servers are provided by Software Toolbox, based in Matthews, N.C. The totally open solution offered by Custom-Flo has saved its customers significant amounts of money whenever their requirements changed or new systems were added.
No hardwired point panels
When Custom-Flo connects to building automation systems at customer locations, it first tries to utilize the native network interface offered by the building automation system. Custom-Flo prefers to connect to the building automation system using OPC because it provides users with yet another open systems connection point should they ever need to connect another software application to the system.
Custom-Flo maps all data into an OPC Server that implements the native building automation systemâs protocol. For example, for one building automation system network, Custom-Flo needed an OPC server that would implement the slave side of the building automation network so that the building automation system could be the master. Custom-Flo turned to Software Toolbox to provide the OPC server for that implementation.
By utilizing OPC for all its external software interfaces, Custom-Flo can maintain the integrity of its systems and cope with changes quickly on site if needed. The OPC Server software has replaced the point panels that are commonly found at interface points in building automation systems, saving customers thousands of dollars in up-front hardware investment and installation costs, and creating significant flexibility for future system changes and expansion. Custom-Flo standardizes a set of point names in the OPC server for each building automation system vendor, so that once it has implemented a few systems with an interface to a particular vendorâs building automation system, future system implementations are quick and easy for both parties.
Airport facilities management
As an example, in a commercial airport, Custom-Flo supplied six hot water systems in six concourses and interfaced them to a building automation system using a Software Toolbox OPC server. After the systems had been running for a few years, the operator of the airport decided to replace its building automation system with one from another vendor. The change in the interface for Custom-Flo simply involved changing the OPC servers from ones using the native building automation system protocol to Modbus Slave OPC servers from Software Toolbox. The changeover of the interface was done in one day. There were no costs associated with replacing or rewiring point panels, and no hardware changes involved in the interface change with the Custom-Flo systems.
For more information, visit Software Toolbox at www.softwaretoolbox.com.
