Improve pumping system uptime and efficiency
Improving the reliability and efficiency of pumping systems is crucial. The expanding capabilities of operator interfaces (OI) provide a powerful tool to improve uptime and efficiency. Traditionally, an OI provided a local point to monitor and control the pumping system. The evolving capabilities of OI products expand this role to include advanced features—such as remote system access, historical data logging and alarm management.
These expanded capabilities provide key information to help end users make better operating decisions and remedy potential failures before they cause downtime. Armed with the right information, end users can improve energy efficiency and extend the life of their valuable system assets.
Switching Is Not Easy
There is a reluctance to switch key components in a control system. We are all hesitant to venture far from our comfort zone. We tend to use existing designs for as long as possible because there is a learning curve and time investment associated with a new OI and development software.
However, the time comes when the enhanced capability of new equipment makes a compelling argument for change.
Changing machine control systems, OIs and machine architecture introduces risks. The newer generation of OIs and development software can minimize these concerns.
Instead of technical risks, they provide a reliable platform for developing advanced applications, streamlining development and reducing troubleshooting time.
Further, today's OI solutions provide a host of advantages to help systems operate more reliability, efficiently and safely for years.
Rugged Equipment
Current OI products can offer many advanced benefits. One is the ability to function in harsh applications.
Pumping applications can expose control equipment to tough environments. Look for a supplier who can provide OI product options that meet the application's specific challenges. Examples of options that may be important are:
- Scratch and impact resistant touch screen technologies, such as infrared detection.
- Extended environmental rating options—such as temperature, shock and vibration
- Extended supply voltage range
Broad Connectivity
Pumping solutions include a range of control products such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and motor control components that may come from many different vendors. An OI solution that provides the ability to connect to a wide range of devices is needed.
This will allow end users to standardize their operator interface solutions and change other components as needed for different applications. Today's OI should be able to connect to any device, network or database.
Built-in Remote Access Capabilities
The technology available today for remote monitoring, troubleshooting and problem correction is changing the way end users effectively deal with a control system.
Look for a manufacturer who builds remote features into the software and provides it pre-licensed on the hardware to dramatically reduce costs over time.
With remote access features, end users will be able to improve the speed and accuracy of remote problem detection, correction and troubleshooting. They will also be able to make program adjustments, all without traveling to the site.
Using a simple web browser, remote operators can monitor and control equipment and even view different screens than the local operator. Connecting to an OI remotely should require no additional software once local security requirements are met.
Often, changes must be made to an application after the equipment is in the field. An OI should enable end users to make changes remotely without having to shut down or perform multiple compile and reboot cycles.
End users may also need to collect historical information (such as energy usage, flow rates, etc…) from remote pumping equipment to a central database. The chosen OI should have data logging capability and open database interfaces.
Flexible, Scalable, Secure Open Solutions
Look for a vendor who can meet the full range of the applications from small to large screen sizes and with the ability to extend functionality in an open environment.
Some interfaces can combine the functionality and flexibility of operating systems, while providing protection for the operating system and software.
The next generation of OI can overcome maintenance and administration issues endemic to the use of commercial desktop operating systems in industrial automation applications. So, you can operate your OI like any other industrial control device—such as PLCs, motion controllers and drives.
With this capability, today's OIs can lock out all changes or corruption to the operating system and critical application program and drivers. This key feature makes it unnecessary to:
- Install an uninterruptible power system (UPS) to protect the OI against corruption in the case of sudden loss of power
- Install antivirus software or automatic Windows updates
- Worry about receiving automatic downloads, cookies or application updates
Powerful and Efficient Development Environment
The software used to develop your application is the foundation of a good operator interface.
New tools streamline the application development process and reduce your overall effort. Beyond basic monitor and control, your software package can make it easier to design sophisticated applications with advanced features like remote access and control, and advanced search and replace.
Additional development functions can include:
- Online configuration and editing with your target Operator Interface device
- Automatic web page generation from the application screen designs
- Customizable application symbols
- Reusable controls, images and screens through indirect tag and/or PLC assignments
- The ability to convert legacy configurations and easily scale from one screen size to another.
- Full multi-language application development and auto translate capabilities
A powerful and intuitive graphical user interface lowers costs and makes it easier to implement advanced features—such as data archiving, recipe management, multi-language, Structured Query Language (SQL), database access and web serving.
High-End Features
Many high-end features—such as advanced trending, data archiving, and alarming—can be included. They are discussed in this section.
Trending and Historical Data Archiving
High-performance interfaces have increased memory to run larger applications, store event histories and record operational trends. Look for an operator interface that supports trending and historical data in the following ways:
- Provides powerful trend viewing on the OI
- Provides local storage that can be extended via CompactFlash, USB or SD memory devices
- Provides remote access to the history files using open data base standards
Powerful historical data capability is a key feature that is needed to support energy usage monitoring and optimization.
Today's OIs can facilitate comparisons of power consumption between two similarly sized pieces of equipment or of comparably sized facilities.
Armed with this data, process control professionals can discover and correct inefficiencies promptly.
Alarm and Notification System
Alarm systems monitor critical information and notify operators when a failure is imminent through email or text message.
New generation OIs support alarm and event monitoring for user-defined events with multiple selectable levels and alarm groups.
Operators can sort alarms online based on the time they occurred, time of acknowledgement, time cleared, level of importance and other custom-defined parameters.
Further, OIs support alarm and event histories that are archived locally or remotely and can be viewed in standard database or spreadsheet formats.
Alarm functionality can be used to e-mail critical faults, alerting operators—who may be offsite—about potential issues.
Operators can then log in remotely and implement changes to keep the system and processes running.
End-User Support
End-users should be able to rely on the OI manufacturer to provide support to help integrate a new OI into an existing system—some manufacturers offer expert service free of charge. With a range of support resources, manufacturers can help end users create custom OI applications quickly.
Interactive guides, context-sensitive help built into the software, training courses and global phone and online technical support provide the information needed to customize a system to meet the unique requirements of the application.
Global Ratings
Consider selecting rugged OIs that are engineered for tough industrial environments and meet the local and global standards and certifications for your applications.
They are rated to National Electrical Manufacturer Association (NEMA) NEMA 4, NEMA 4X and IP65—with compliant enclosures.
Additionally, for global application requirements, relevant Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Canadian Underwriters Laboratories (cUL) and Conformité Européenne (CE) Mark certifications are met.
Advanced OI Improves Uptime
New OI designs provide exceptional value. Look for manufacturers able to provide a complete solution with both hardware and software functionality and features that work with the existing system.
With a graphical user interface and powerful features, many OIs provide full remote access capabilities, communications and advanced diagnostic information.
The baseline communications architecture created by the manufacturer can be reused and scaled to meet specific application requirements.
The next generation of OI hardware and software is better suited than ever to help collect the real-time information that end users need from their systems to operate efficiently, optimize maintenance schedules and prevent downtime.
Pumps & Systems, September 2011