Reviewer details
Details withheld at respondent's request
Product details
Vendor: Siemens
Product name and version: WinCC v6.2
Telephone: +27 (0)11 652 2000
E-mail: [email protected]
Application
Industry: Iron and Steel
Server operating system: Windows Server 2003
Client operating system: Windows XP Pro
Front end: 15* S7-400, 35* SA7-300, 50* Simadyn-D drives
Tag count: 100 000
General
Q: Briefly describe the application including information on any pre-existing system that was in place.
A: The project involved the installation of a Siemens Simatic WinCC HMI system to replace the now obsolete Siemens COROS–LSB system that was widely used throughout the plant.
Q: Who performed the scada configuration?
A: Systems Automation Management (SAM) and in-house team at ArcelorMittal’s Saldanha Works.
Q: Approximately how many man-hours did the scada configuration take?
A: Approximately 1600 man-hours.
Q: Was a structured process followed to determine expected performance under full load and during abnormal failure conditions?
A: The new scada was operated in parallel with the existing system for several months.
Q: What sort of licensing agreement applies to this particular system?
A: The licensing is based on the number of power tags (tags that have a process connection via a controller using a WinCC communications channel).
Q: What upgrade agreements are in place? Are patches and version upgrades free, covered under annual maintenance or managed in some other way?
A: The site subscribes to the Simatic WinCC support program which includes a software update service.
Q: How is after-sales support handled?
A: Support is available via locally based experts and the Siemens hotline.
System architecture
Q: What impresses you most about the architecture?
A: Siemens’ TIA (totally integrated automation) concept which directly accesses the tag and alarm configuration systems of our Simatic controllers. This simplifies engineering and reduces costs. The system’s openness, scalability and expandability.
Q: What are the key physical communication layers and communication protocols employed in the system?
A: Industrial Ethernet (S7 protocol suite) over twisted pair, fibre and wireless links the servers to the Simatic controllers. TCP/IP protocol handles the communication between the clients and servers over a separate LAN.
Q: Is the scada system integrated onto an intranet or the Internet? If so, what level of remote monitoring and control is configured?
A: WinCC DataMonitor is used for display and evaluation of current plant status and historical data and for data analysis using standard tools like Microsoft Excel.
Q: What redundancy is incorporated in this scada application?
A: I/O servers and archive servers are installed in a redundant configuration.
Graphics
Q: Could you describe the graphics development process?
A: Where possible, standard library objects were used.
Q: How would you describe the library of graphic images?
A: It contains an extensive assortment of preconfigured objects such as motors, valves, pumps and pipes and it is user-extensible.
Q: What human factors were taken into consideration in the HMI design process?
A: We retained the same look and feel of the original system graphics.
Q: Did you use any ‘special’ images?
A: No.
Compatibility
Q: Do you run the scada in conjunction with any third-party application software?
A: No.
Q: Was any custom code or scada scripting written for this project?
A: Scripts were used when necessary to achieve the same look and feel of the original system graphics.
Management reporting and integration
Q: Is a trending and historical data reporting system included?
A: Archiving of process values and messages is carried out in the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 database.
Q: Is a management reporting system included in the package?
A: WinCC DataMonitor is being used for production evaluation.
Q: Is the system integrated with an MES/ERP or other management reporting or control system?
A: Not currently.
Q: Are any production benchmarking tools configured as part of the scada system?
A: No.
System safety, security and data protection
Q: What alarm management standards or best practices were adopted in configuring the scada system?
A: Alarming is configured in the PLC. WinCC receives the alarm message frame directly from the controller.
Q: How were the potential consequences of abnormal process conditions taken into consideration during the HMI design process?
A: In the TIA model, process conditions and their handling are coded in the PLC.
Q: Does the design make provision for a DMZ and firewall segregation of process network and business networks?
A: The WinCC I/O servers are on a separate LAN from the Web server and system wide communication is protected by the SCALANCE S security module, which allows the use of firewalls or packet filters to specifically block both incoming and outgoing communication.
Q: What intrusion detection is incorporated on the plant network(s) on which this scada system exists?
A: None.
Q: What configuration backup and archive backup methodologies have been adopted?
A: The scada is configured to store a short term archive of 30 days. Older data is automatically exported and stored on the archive server and DataMonitor. At regular intervals records are copied to an external online backup server capable of storing at least three years of process data. Simatic manager takes care of regular backups of the entire scada and PLC projects.
Conclusion
Q: What was the predominant feature(s) that made you decide to employ this scada, rather than another?
A: Deciding factors were the high level of integration of the TIA concept, high availability via redundancy, secure web navigation and the powerful integrated historian.
Q: What impresses you the most about the system?
A: The short development times when used in conjunction with Simatic controllers, the ability to integrate our individual automation components (PLCs and drives, operating and monitoring) under a single umbrella, and the use of Web technology to enable plant personnel to monitor the plant from almost anywhere.
Custom questions
Q: Do you plan any upgrades?
A: We plan to add the WinCC Downtime Monitor and Process Monitor systems and to use WinCC Industrial Data Bridge to link to our MES.
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