![]() ![]() Schneider's Modicon M580 - ePAC Controller is a new concept is designed to fill the void between a universal Ethernet backbone, a DCS, and a programmable automation controller (PAC). The two companies demonstrated the product toolkit and the prototype of the new app at the most recent Automation Fair. Dubbed Project Stanton on Twitter), The toolkit emerging from this collaboration enables Rockwell Automation offerings with a consistent web-based user interface for a specific device tablet, smartphone or desktop, and now includes a prototype app. This is being driven by industrial workers that are increasingly turning to mobile devices to help improve productivity and collaboration, but need interfaces tailored to the specific device. ![]() ![]() Rockwell Automation has made numerous announcements related to its Connected Enterprise in the past year, but one of the lesser publicized endeavors is the mobility collaboration project with Microsoft designed for industrial environments, where wireless network connections are not always reliable. Honeywell's Virtual Engineering Platform (VEP) has been out for some time and provides a secure, centrally hosted cloud environment to execute industrial automation projects and to do process automation system engineering. The platform also leverages the latest cloud standards in terms of data security and can be hosted in a variety of ways, including private clouds. Honeywell Sentience represents a foundational set of capabilities that allows each Honeywell business to focus on unique areas and integrate complementary technologies. Other company divisions are also leveraging the Honeywell Sentience cloud platform, including both Building Automation and Aerospace. Honeywell Sentience is the new cloud based infrastructure that was introduced by Honeywell Process Solutions at this year's Honeywell User Group meeting in San Antonio. Steam trap monitoring and pressure relief vents are good examples of devices that are important to the process, there are hundreds of them in many process plants, and outfitting them with relatively cheap sensing capabilities can provide great value in terms of avoiding unplanned downtime and adopting a more proactive maintenance philosophy. Emerson is combining its ability to monitor thousands of sensors in a process plant and turn the data from those sensors into useful information. Emerson also recently released introduced wirelessly-monitored Enardo 2000 emergency pressure relief vents (EPRVs). Rosemount recently released the Rosemount 975 line of optical flame detectors designed to perform in harsh environmental conditions and connect directly to alarm or automatic fire extinguishing systems. The company has introduced several new sensors that are low cost, wireless, or both. Emerson Process Management is playing on its strengths in "Pervasive Sensing" as its entry into the Industrial Internet of Things. Further information is not yet available as the sale of the product will not start until later in the year. They transmit information on vibration, temperature, loads and energy consumption to the cloud and generate alerts when motors perform sub-optimally. The devices can be retrofitted to both ABB and third party motors. Smart Sensor provides wireless condition monitoring data for low voltage motors. ABB's Smart Sensor for low voltage motors is part of the company's Internet of Things, Services, and People (IoTSP) initiative, and was recently introduced at this past Hanover Fair. Predix is a much more comprehensive IoT architecture that reaches into other industries aside from the process industries. I have left GE Predix off this list basically because we have written a lot about Predix already here at the ARC Internet of Things/Industrie 4.0 blog. From sensors to edge computing devices and gateways and cloud-based engineering, the Internet of Things is becoming a reality for process automation. Here are some examples of how the Internet of Things is starting to manifest itself in real world products and services offered by key process automation suppliers. If you're an end user, you should have IoT related functions and roadmap as part of your supplier selection criteria. Companies are either making acquisitions or developing their own solutions in-house. In recent months, several suppliers have introduced products, applications, and services that are the first "real world" manifestations of what the IoT will look like in process industry applications. The Internet of Things as it applies to the world of process automation is moving from hype to reality. Product and Service Lifecycle Management. ![]()
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