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From plant floor to World Wide Web
Criterion,
developed by Siemens, is an example of the benefits of integrated
use of communications in management and production applications
globally via the World Wide Web
Criterion is
the name given to a new family of industrial electronic measurement
and process control systems developed by Siemens Measurement Systems
and now being applied across a very diverse spread of manufacturing
industries. It has a very high take-up in the automotive field,
where this technology has great advantages in a large scale manufacturing
environment and in applications associated with the automated, online,
part measuring machines.
The design
concept is based upon a high level of connectivity, which gives
it the ability to interface with or 'talk to' virtually any system
currently in use. The Siemens MSB team directed a great deal of
their development effort into two aspects of the Criterion family
systems design: firstly to create a series of units which, in true
family form, can be identified with each other in appearance, function,
software application and operation whilst allowing them to be applied
at all levels of measurement and control from simple off-line measuring
stations to full automatic process and feedback control; secondly,
to give the stations, at all levels, the ability to talk to and
network with other in-house systems, whether management data providers
or process associated control systems and to enable the software
to be interrogated, via the World Wide Web, to facilitate remote
error correction or reprogramming.
At the base
level, the unit enabling operators off line to measure and check
dimensional viability of part production, the communications system,
is hard wired. Binary coded decimal links can be extended up to
the use of Fieldbus technology or serial interfacing using, for
example, RS232 or RS485. Profibus, DeviceNet and Modbus are communication
links into machine tools and industrial processes using such support
as Dynamic Data Exchange (DOE), Ethernet and OPC (Object Linked
Environment for Process Control). Criterion addresses all of these
modes of communication which, in turn, enables older generation
machine tools, current front end technology generation products
and complex feedback processes to be addressed and measuring solutions
to be established.
Data analysis
terminals and computer systems are expected to communicate not only
with the measurement hardware but up to higher levels within the
systems network. Local area networks (LANs) are commonplace in the
business management environment but control systems are only just
achieving the same degree of connectivity. Criterion has been designed
to handle this with direct connections to LANs for data transfer,
data collection, analysis, configuration down loading and data warehousing.
Operating
system
The operating
system used by Criterion is Windows NT and the software packages
employed have been designed specifically for use with NT and not
upgraded from DOS-based systems, which cannot take full advantage
of the facilities and tools open to the business orientated Windows
NT. This enables Criterion to take data into its database and then
share this with third party Windows designed applications such as
Excel or Q-Das,
thus extending the reporting possibilities.
Criterion can
work with techniques such as MRP, ERP, MES and can communicate with
software such as SAP. The database structure is ODBC (Open Data
Base Connectivity) and SQL (Structured Query Language) compliant.
This provides for transfer of quality and measured data. The World
Wide Web is an extension of any modern computer based technology,
allowing links into areas of information and technology not easily
available from manufacturing terminals in the past. These can, of
course, be locked out at the factory floor where not required. Intuitive
and process specific help screens and video based instructions are
all available as means of communicating at a human level.
Remote fault
diagnostics through the effective use of communication links is
an advantage only possible using the latest technology. With LAN
and/or telephone connection Criterion can remotely access a measuring
system in a process, on a customer's site, or anywhere in the world
- an ability vital to a global operations franchise. From here the
system can be exercised and diagnostics run to resolve system issues
that may be affecting the process and productivity.
- Siemens
Automation & Drives
g104@industrialnetworking.co.uk
Circuit
breaker enables operator control and monitoring via the internet
Siemens
automation and drives has announced a range of open circuit
breakers. The Sentron WL range, available both in three and
four-pole versions, allows all of the parameterisation, plant
operating and monitoring tasks to be handled locally or via
Profibus-DP, Ethernet/Internet. The modular design of its
tripping devices and communication components, means Sentron
WL can be easily adjusted to varying power distribution concepts.
Sentron
WL, which is available in three sizes, from 250 to 6300A,
can be connected in different ways and protects against short-circuit
currents of up to 150,000A. A module for calculating rated
current, enables quick and easy modification, which means
the circuit breaker can be effectively adapted to the plant
conditions. The electronic overcurrent release, which is at
the very heart of Sentron WL, provides a variety of protection,
signalling and measuring functions, from simple protection
against overloading and short-circuiting to the complex function
of remotely setting the parameters.
All intelligent
components are linked by Cubiclebus, the internal system bus.
External auxiliary modules can add digital inputs and outputs
as well as analogue outputs to expand the circuit breaker.
The Siemens
circuit breaker can communicate its current status through
Profibus-DP and/or Ethernet, as well as Intranet and Internet.
The control, diagnosis and testing of the Sentron WL, as well
as the selecting and adjusting of the parameters, are all
functions which can be carried out remotely. Using the Profibus
gateway module, the Sentron WL is connected to the Profibus.
The transfer of data and the setting of the circuit breaker's
parameters is enabled through the use of the Switch ES Power
software.
If users
need to access this data and the parameters of Sentron WL
locally, this can now be done due to the Breaker Data Adaptor
(BOA), the first ever circuit breaker parameter device with
an integrated Webserver. The data can be accessed and altered
through an internet browser, without the need for extra software.
The use of an additional Ethernet connection (BOA Plus) enables
the user to make the data available on the intranet or internet.
An extra module enables damage and warning messages to be
sent by text messaging to a mobile phone.
Retrofitting
is not a problem with the Sentron WL. A complete range of
accessories, from remote releases through motor drives to
communication components is available.
- Siemens
Automation & Drives
g104@industrialnetworking.co.uk
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