Engineering design software: productivity for EPC and OPs

SCADA/HMI

September 2007 SCADA/HMI

Engineering design software is commonly used within engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies. Software like 1Des – One Design tool for electrical and instrumentation engineers and designers – provides company standards to be applied, a universal look to drawings, ensures accurate engineering and high productivity during project design phase. Engineering software has become a necessity during a project life cycle and tools like this are effective in managing and applying design changes during a project.

With 1Des the developers have gone one step further so that the design information does not became just another `dead' database. The owner operator (OP) - the company for whom the EPC has done the design - can benefit from using such a system after the design phase.

Integration to PLC/ DCS systems

1Des provides tools so that PLC/DCS systems can inherit the information inside the database. For example 1Des can generate the code blocks for the digital, analog and motor drive blocks for Schneider Electric's Unity software from standard code templates using the database tags created for the different PLCs (Figure 1).

Figure 1. 1Des integrates with existing PLC/DCS systems

Integration to scada systems

The engineering software also provides a tool for scada management. For example it can create a Galaxy-ready import file for the Wonderware ArchestrA software. When this information is then deployed to the scada system, plant drawings generated by 1Des can be previewed directly from the scada for maintenance and fault-finding. All the user needs to do is click on an equipment icon on the scada screen and the relevant loop drawing can be opened for immediate and intelligent fault diagnosis. This can help to significantly reduce plant downtime (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Engineering software can help with scada configuration and management

Keeping plant documents up to date

Engineering software is actively used by EPCs. The challenge is for OPs to maintain drawings after handover. 1Des provides a red-lining capability that gives the user the option to red-line engineering drawings when viewing from the scada - for instance in the case where changes have been made during a call-out. When red-lined in this way, the engineering database is flagged.

1Des provides engineering information continuity from EPC to OP. The EPC can productively create electrical and instrumentation engineering plant design documentation that is easily useable and effectively maintainable by the OP for the full life-cycle of the plant.

For more information contact Johan Hamman, DesSoft, +27 (0)12 654 7516, johan@dessoft.co.za, www.dessoft.co.za

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SCADA/HMI

Engineering design software: productivity for EPC and OPs

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