“An ingenious application of Schneider Electric’s ‘Transparent Ready’ technology is the new Telemecanique active Web server called FactoryCast, an advanced human-machine interface (HMI),” says automation product manager, Sean Naude, at Schneider Electric South Africa. “It enhances the vertical and horizontal integration of automation data, circulating realtime information between the operational level and the overall management of a company or other enterprise. By doing this, FactoryCast becomes the key link in collaborative automation by reducing data transit time and ensuring that everyone has direct access to the key indicators of the processes.
Naude continues: "An automation specialist can configure the system very simply - without any need for programming. The system actively executes the central functions of an HMI at the source - in a sturdy and reliable piece of automated equipment - to acquire and process data. This data is stored in a relational database, with FactoryCast notifying its human masters by e-mail and SMS when necessary and monitoring installations via animated Web pages designed by the user."
Similarly, the SOAP/XML Web Services enable the Telemecanique PLC units to speak the 'universal' IT web languages. Such web service technology now represents the most successful strategy for ensuring interoperability between heterogeneous software applications via intranets or the Internet, irrespective of operating systems and programming languages.
By implementing these SOAP/XML Web services in the FactoryCast Web servers, IT specialist can simply design any required custom application for direct, realtime access to the desired information in the PLC. Information exchanges are carried out using a standard XML (eXtensible Markup Language) format following SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol).
New life for existing installations
Intelligent web gateways can provide a new life for existing production lines, food processing and other installations, saving end users a great deal of money and reducing or eliminating disruptions caused by the need to make extensive modifications to machinery.
The installed bases of existing PLCs (programmable logic controllers) and devices using Modbus or Uni-Telway technologies can now be integrated simply in an Ethernet TCP/IP infrastructure thanks to the Telemecanique Web FactoryCast gateways. This economic solution enables existing installations to be accessed from the IT level applications without the need for extensive physical modifications, consequently protecting the end users' initial investments and avoiding lengthy disruptions.
They ingeniously offer an all-in-one solution by combining, in a compact casing, all gateway and network interfaces, a remote access server (RAS) function, as well as a customisable Web server. In this way, FactoryCast Gateway opens new horizons in terms of remote surveillance and remote maintenance.
For example, Web Diagnostic enables Telemecanique products to be accessed via Internet Explorer or any other web browser. With the ready-to-use or personalised web pages built into the product, it incorporates many smart features without calling on local specialist skills. Viewing PLC configuration, data system measurements, modifying variables and alarms are among the installed features.
By using the Internet Explorer browser, the user can carry out these operations without any prior training.
Naude continues: "There is no need to be an expert to replace a faulty device either, thanks to Faulty Device Replacement technology. A query is sent by the software via the Ethernet TCP/IP to obtain its network settings, bringing about an automatic reconfiguration. Significant savings are made because no training is required and stoppage time is reduced to a minimum."
For more information contact automation product manager, Sean Naude, Schneider Electric South Africa, +27 (0)11 254 6400, [email protected], or www.schneider-electric.co.za
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