Colombia. Schneider Electric has introduced the new EcoStruxure software solutions, which for the first time provide appreciable returns on assets and operation.
Plant personnel have traditionally focused on improving the efficiency of the industrial operations they control, which has brought plant assets to their reliability threshold, increasing downtime and safety risks along the way. However, thanks to the availability of a more robust Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) technology, included in the EcoStruxure architecture and platform, the industrial workforce will be better able than ever to control and improve the effectiveness and profitability of assets and operations in real time.
EcoStruxure is Schneider Electric's open and interoperable systems architecture and platform, enabled for IoT. Offering innovation at all levels through connected products, edge control, applications, analytics and services, this architecture enables a scalable design with operation of connected systems and best-in-class security integrated at each level.
Empower the workforce to achieve cost-effective reliability with safety
The new EcoStruxure Maintenance Advisor software, with built-in EcoStruxure Condition, bridges the gap between operations and maintenance, providing predictive maintenance and decision support for plant assets, including its EcoStruxure Foxboro DCS, EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS, smart field devices and other powerful automation assets.
By providing early, up-to-date data on abnormal operating and asset conditions, the solutions empower the workforce to make smarter, more targeted and proactive maintenance and operating decisions that improve operational reliability and profitability. With mobile capacity devices and integrated workflow options, enabling plant personnel to respond quickly to emerging conditions from anywhere in the plant.
"The increasing speed of developments and the acceleration of enterprise technology have come together, increasing pressure on manufacturers to get more value, i.e., profit from operations," said Matt Littlefield, president and principal analyst at LNS Research. "Digital transformation is sweeping the industry, with LNS Research we expect 60% of companies to have an IIOT initiative by the end of 2017. This means executives are looking for and need smarter tools, advanced analytics and better decision-making to deliver a measurable return on investment."
"Emerging IIoT technology, such as Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure platform and tools, are enabling end users to seek and find value in production processes. EcoStruxure Maintenance Advisor and EcoStruxure Control Advisor, among other Schneider Electric offerings representing the next generation of technology. By allowing staff to monitor and optimize operational performance based on actual financial constraints, greater benefits are provided safely, even when the asset base is aging and becoming less reliable," Littlefield said.
Improved asset health monitoring for a measurable and comprehensive return on investment
Through a unified dashboard, EcoStruxure Maintenace Advisor monitors the real-time status of plant-wide assets to detect abnormal operating conditions. It then automatically provides actionable alerts, easy to understand with the right context, along with possible reasons for the abnormal condition and possible actions to correct.
The new EcoStruxure Condition Advisor for OPC DA enables automated real-time monitoring of the conditions of any OPC DA-compliant asset, such as smart electronic devices, motor starters and drives. This new capability complements existing Condition Advisors, which monitor the status of Fieldbus Foundation, HART and Profibus instruments.
"Our solution's ability to accurately detect and report potential issues and recommend corrective action before failures occur improves plant safety, asset reliability and process efficiency," said Jose Bonomo, vice president of offering management at Schneider Electric. "By bringing these capabilities to market for the first time in a single solution, we can help our customers improve their organizational effectiveness and increase performance enough to provide a complete and measurable return on investment in as little as three months of implementation."
Cost-effective reliability: the keys to the profit engine
Combining schneider Electric's offerings and third-party control systems allows customers to monitor and diagnose the status of a wide range of plant automation assets in real time, which can help maximize uptime, minimize operating costs, maintenance, increasing workplace safety. Clear and concise alerts that offer recommendations in a context dedicated to the status of each asset and the complexity of its condition, which improves response time.
"We have strategically aligned these new offerings to ensure maximum efficiency and value for our customers, regardless of the type of control system they use," Said Bonomo. "EcoStruxure Maintenance Advisor and EcoStruxure Condition Monitor can minimize or even eliminate downtime and unplanned incidents on the plant floor, not only to improve CAPEX's return on investment and return on assets, but to improve the reliability and profitability of our customers' operations, without danger. When applied correctly, these solutions will help turn your process automation into the profit engines of your business."
These solutions are available to customers in the hybrid and process industry. In this way Schneider Electric innovates to make industries more efficient and modern through the best automation systems and solutions with the EcoStruxure architecture.
