Yokogawa Electric Corporation has announced the release of CENTUM VP, a new integrated production control system that will become the platform for the VigilantPlant Operational Excellence initiative.
VigilantPlant is Yokogawa's automation concept for safe, reliable, and profitable plant operations. The system aims to enable an ongoing state of operational excellence where plant personnel are watchful and attentive, well-informed, and ready to take actions that optimise plant and business performance. This initiative eliminates unplanned downtime, improves asset utilisation, and allows businesses to adapt to shifting market conditions quickly and efficiently. Based on this concept, Yokogawa launched Safety Excellence solutions in 2005, Asset Excellence solutions in 2006, and Production Excellence solutions in 2007. The launch of the CENTUM VP takes the VigilantPlant initiative to its next evolutionary step, integrating the three excellence solutions into one Operational Excellence platform.
CENTUM VP is the eighth generation of the series, and succeeds the CENTUM CS 1000/CENTUM CS 3000, while securing clear backward compatibility. Going beyond the traditional (distributed control system) DCS function of controlling and monitoring a plant, CENTUM VP integrates plant information management, asset management, and operation support functions, achieving a unified operating environment. The system provides a foundation for operational excellence by delivering information in context and allowing easy role-based access to all key information.
Satoru Kurosu, senior vice president of Yokogawa's Industrial Automation Business Headquarters, says, "CENTUM VP is designed to empower realtime decision makers at all levels of a plant's operations. A significant improvement in information efficiency enables our customers to enhance both plant safety and business agility."
Key advantages of the system are as follows:
Unified architecture
Plant operations require various functional components such as production control and monitoring, plant information management, asset management, and operation support. Usually these functions are handled by a variety of products from different suppliers. This means the plant is operated by a patchwork of disparate systems, leaving gaps and barriers that constrain smooth and integrated operations.
In contrast, Yokogawa's CENTUM VP establishes a single realtime plant database that serves all of these key functions in realtime, setting the foundation for a unified operating environment. This unified architecture improves information efficiency and enhances the safety and agility of plant operations.
The unified database enables single-source seamless integration of advanced applications that manage plant information, stabilise processes, and improve operational efficiency. Quick and flexible deployment of these applications enables the user to improve the safety, availability, and profitability of a plant on an ongoing basis. This also simplifies change management, thereby minimising the life-cycle ownership cost.
Reliability and compatibility
CENTUM VP utilises Yokogawa's unique Pair & Spare reliability technology that leaves no single point of failure and maintains an industry-leading seven 9s (99,99999%) system availability. In addition, backward compatiblity with previous systems secures a smooth and flexible migration path to all previous CENTUM series DCSs. It allows customers to maintain existing systems while expanding their plant or systems with a new DCS. Without losing consistency or continuity, Yokogawa continues to deliver innovative solutions based on the latest technologies, protecting customers' assets and investments.
Intuitive interface
The functions of the human interface station (HIS) have been enhanced for CENTUM VP. While maintaining full compatibility with the CENTUM CS 3000, the new (human machine interface) HMI introduces a unified and intuitive operating environment. The new screens are ergonomically designed and arranged to reduce operator fatigue and discomfort. The HMI is also designed to facilitate easy access to the right information. Another key philosophy behind the new HMI is the visualisation of operational know-how and consideration of information users' mental models, enabling everyone to work smarter. This is essential for harnessing the power of the integrated production control system. It ensures that information users get prioritised, actionable information instead of data flooding.
Markets and applications
The system is suited to process control and monitoring of plants in industries such as petroleum, petrochemicals, chemicals, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, food, iron and steel, and water treatment.
For more information contact Yokogawa South Africa, +27 (0)11 831 6300, [email protected], www.yokogawa.com/za
| Tel: | +27 11 831 6300 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.yokogawa.com/za |
| Articles: | More information and articles about Yokogawa South Africa |
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