Autosave system offers peace of mind for disaster recovery
May 2004
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Undocumented changes to and unregulated backups of PLC programmes and scada systems can lead to costly and lengthy production delays when something goes wrong. Yet, changes to PLC code are part of the necessary on-going process of production improvement and response to emergencies. By regimenting the software change process, MDT's AutoSave allows for incremental process improvement and controlled disaster recovery.
Scaw Metals' extensive works rely on 24/7 production availability in an environment where untracked and undocumented PLC software changes can quickly lead to chaos. This applies to most industrial automation environments where the blame for malfunctions and poor disaster recovery usually falls on attendant technicians and engineers because of lack of documentation. The reality of the situation is that operational personnel quite rightly have other priorities in production optimisation or emergency situations than documenting software changes. What aggravates the situation is that that there is rarely a mechanism to help them do so.
"AutoSave has virtually eliminated the tediousness, guesswork and the dangers of the past," says Martin Volkwyn, divisional engineering manager, Scaw Metals. "Today, technicians do not have to go from place to place to do backups. We know at all times what changes have been made and what software release is current. We also know why changes were made and who made them. This is important because changes are automatically e-mailed to anyone they will affect and this, in turn, encourages the person who made the changes to supply more complete information. AutoSave also lets us verify and track backups. All this has helped to eliminate doubt and reduce the time for disaster recovery should this be required."
About Scaw Metals
The Scaw Metals Group is an international group, wholly owned by Anglo American, manufacturing a diverse range of steel products. Its principal operations are located in South Africa and South America. The group consists of five main product lines: rolled steel, Haggie wire rope and strand, McKinnon Chain, Moly-Cop forged grinding media and cast steel and alloy iron products. The South African facilities include wire and steel wire rope operations, steel plants, rolling mills, steel foundries and chain manufacturing operations. These facilities produce steel wire rope, pre-stressed concrete wire and strand, reinforcing bar, wire rod, cast and forged grinding media, steel castings, high chromium iron castings and plain carbon and low alloy steel chain and fittings, supplied to the construction, railway, power generation, mining, cement, marine and agricultural markets worldwide.
Scaw Metals is still in the process of deploying MDT AutoSave but has already reaped the benefits of an IT approach to shop floor software management.
About MDT AutoSave
MDT AutoSave is a realtime change management solution for factory and industrial automation software that forms an umbrella for programmable device systems.
It allows multiple access to multiple devices and centralised, access-controlled storage to control software while providing the required level of backup, version control, scheduled software version comparisons, disaster recovery and automatic change notification facilities.
For more information contact Mike le Plastrier, Futuristix Advanced Control Systems, 011 723 9900, [email protected], www.futuristix.co.za
Further reading:
Oils don’t die, they degrade
Wearcheck
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
WearCheck explores the main ways lubricants degrade in service and how these degradation modes affect oil performance and machine reliability.
Read more...
Real-time spectrum analyser
Vepac Electronics
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
The PXE series real-time spectrum analyser covers frequencies up to 20 GHz with a 100 MHz analytical bandwidth and ultra-fast sweep speed, supporting spectrum monitoring, interference finding and RF test and measurement functions.
Read more...
Preserving a French heritage landmark
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Omniflex supplied a remotely monitored impressed current cathodic protection system for the Perret Tower in Grenoble, a protected French heritage site, combining 24/7 corrosion protection with integrated surge protection against lightning strikes.
Read more...
Operational efficiencies and safety compliance with preventive maintenance programmes
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Konecranes explains how its Lifecycle Care Preventive Maintenance programme reduces unexpected downtime, improves safety compliance and delivers measurable financial benefits for operators of cranes and lifting equipment across any make or sector.
Read more...
Portable appliance tester
Vepac Electronics
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Vepac Electronics’ new portable appliance tester enables precise safety testing of electrical appliances in accordance with DGUV regulation 3 and BetrSichV, with simple three-button operation and battery-powered mobility.
Read more...
Why lubrication fails in mining and what to do about it
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Lubrication Engineers explains the recurring failure points behind mining lubrication problems and how the right product, storage and application practices can improve equipment reliability.
Read more...
When digital twins move from concept to critical tool
IT in Manufacturing System Integration & Control Systems Design Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Digital twins are moving out of the lab and onto the mine, the factory floor and the transport network where they predict failures before they happen. Amritesh Anand looks at where they earn their keep, the data and integration work behind them, and the security questions every organisation should ask before switching one on.
Read more...
Why asset level intelligence is now essential for resilient wastewater plants
Schneider Electric South Africa
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Sub-Saharan Africa’s wastewater operators face mounting pressure to keep ageing plants running smoothly and meet tougher environmental standards, all while lacking visibility into the health of their medium-voltage (MV) drives and other critical rotating assets. Adding predictive analytics, digital twins and enterprise dashboards enables optimisation across multiple sites, ensuring every drop moves safely and efficiently through the water cycle.
Read more...
How multiple boilers can minimise costly downtime
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Associated Energy Services explains how multi-boiler systems reduce downtime risk for South African manufacturers, covering redundancy planning, fuel source diversification and the strategic management of backup boiler capacity.
Read more...
Field calibration made easy
Instrotech
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Instrotech’s locally designed and manufactured Calog calibrator range feature a rugged IP54-rated housing, backlit display with data logging via SD card, and a lithium-ion battery with approximately eight hours of run time.
Read more...
printer friendly version