Rockwell Automation unveils new control system

US-based Rockwell Automation, a leading company dedicated to industrial automation and information, has released the latest PlantPAx distributed control system (DCS) to help digitally transform process control operations for increased plant-wide value.

The system will help industrial producers create smarter, more productive and protected operations, said a statement from Rockwell Automation.

The new system capabilities include a more intuitive design and the ability to see contextualised information from plant assets, it stated.

These improvements help digitally transform process control operations – helping to enable a connected enterprise with reduced time-to-market and a lower total cost of ownership, it added.

Kris Dornan, PlantPAx business development manager, Rockwell Automation, said: “The new system has long helped make connectivity possible through its alignment with scalable, plant-wide automation technology and use of open communication standards.”

“Now, we are releasing capabilities that help process-control operations capture more value across the entire process plant,” he added.
 
This system release leverages enabling technologies to eliminate a complexity barrier for small to mid-sized operations seeking to implement a DCS. By consolidating servers into a single machine, applications can implement the full functionality of a modern DCS. This simplification, which can be used on virtual or physical machines, reduces engineering time, licenses and system footprint by up to 75 per cent, said the company in a statement.

The modern DCS also features an expanded library that supports electrical protection devices, leveraging both EtherNet/IP and IEC-61850 standards. Connecting electrical functions with control extends plant-wide integration, resulting in better plant control. Also, new standard control panel offerings ease implementation for a lower risk start-up, it stated.

Jim Winter, director - global process business, Rockwell Automation, said: “The latest system release contains features based on valuable input from process users and aligns with industry standards to deliver a smarter, more intuitive and protected system to a broad range of process industries.”

“These innovations help companies leverage a modern DCS to more easily increase profits from plant-wide integration in a connected enterprise,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service