ProDef, an application that provides a common development environment for the design, configuring, programming and documentation of control systems, has helped system integrator DW Controls to implement and commission a control system for 18 ovens at Western Platinum Refinery in four days.
ProDef, distributed in southern Africa by Futuristix Advanced Control Systems, allows process engineers and programmers to rapidly develop industrial applications that integrate their existing or new control system resources. ProDef is used to write device-independent functional specifications and control code as well as to configure HMIs such as Wonderware's InTouch and PLCs. ProDef is also used to integrate with batch controllers (eg, Wonderware's InBatch) and to automatically document projects with HTML using XML and XSL style sheets.
The 18 ovens at Western Platinum Refinery are used in the platinum purification process. Each has two set temperatures with probes on a Profibus SST and a thyristor drive controlled via a Devicenet/Modbus interface. The oven installation had to be integrated with the existing InTouch scada system via Ethernet - something that ProDef did automatically after compilation of the control code.
"It is the first time I have used ProDef and I found it extremely easy to use and very powerful," says Darryl Watridge of DW Controls. "Once a class is proven, for example, it is just a matter of drag and drop with the knowledge that the control code is not only bug-free but that, being device independent, it can be re-used in future projects thereby dramatically reducing implementation times to hours rather than days or weeks."
Although ProDef includes an extensive library of standard PLC function blocks and 'controllers' (eg, motors, transmitters and other devices), it was up to DW Controls to develop the code for the Device Net, Ethernet and Profibus SST communication cards for the AB Control Logix 5000 Series PLC.
"ProDef provides a structure and discipline lacking in conventional approaches," continues Watridge. "This is most apparent in the need to do a proper up-front system design in order to reduce development time and avoid repeated software compilation cycles. This approach also allows the system integrator to meet customer needs at the operational rather than at the coding level. The analysis of the design is done through off-line simulation in order to test proper system functionality. Needless to say, one of the most important benefits of a structured approach is the ease with which programs can be debugged. Another advantage is the immediate and automatic documentation of a project - something which many developers find tedious and that can minimise production downtimes if something goes wrong and someone else but the originator of the code has to pick up the pieces."
Watridge maintains that, with ProDef, companies that regularly use system integrators for existing system modifications or for new systems can now not only provide these contractors with the hardware to be controlled but the standardised and proven hardware-independent software function blocks as well. In this way, development time is kept to a minimum while quality is guaranteed and system integrators can focus on integrating systems at the application level rather than at the low level of PLC and HMI coding.
"We were very pleased with the project implementation," says Western Platinum Refinery instrumentation superintendent, Leon Meyer. "Everything went as smoothly as could be expected and the support from Neumaflo (the Australian authors of ProDef) and Futuristix was outstanding. All our questions were answered in a matter of hours."
For more information contact Mike le Plastrier, Futuristix Advanced Control Systems, 011 723 9900, mike@futuristix.co.za, www.futuristix.co.za
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