News from Profibus / Profinet – Part 7 PROFIBUS — Lowering Lifecycle Costs

Making widespread, consistent use of PROFIBUS PA and intelligent field devices goes a long way in lowering the lifecycle costs of a plant. What starts out with simplified planning exercises and streamlined documentation continues through to the design and configuration of the explosion protection equipment and does not stop when the plant is ready to be serviced or maintained.

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“We're now ready to tour the plant”, said the youngster as he ended the coffee break from the podium. He had to repeat himself because his former colleagues used the coffee break to meet up at “their” plant and start a lively discussion. “We of course cannot take a look at everything and I think it goes without saying that the explosion protection zones are completely off limits”, the youngster said as he looked at the older man and man with the beard and winked. “Having said that, we will, however, get a good view of the changes to the field instrumentation that were made in the last few years!“ Before he embarked on the tour with the group, the youngster pulled out his smartphone one more time to send two text messages. As everyone left the building, they saw dark clouds approaching from off in the distance. The gusty wind caused several of the visitors to hold on to their hard hats although they were strapped to their chins…

Making widespread, consistent use of PROFIBUS PA and intelligent field devices goes a long way in lowering the lifecycle costs of a plant. What starts out with simplified planning exercises and streamlined documentation continues through to the design and configuration of the explosion protection equipment and does not stop when the plant is ready to be serviced or maintained.

Lifecycle Management

The importance of the total cost of ownership played a key role from the very beginning as PROFIBUS PA was being developed. Today's extreme cost pressure requires effective lifecycle management. Plants are continually monitored and optimized in a way that not only incorporates the actual process itself, but also the seamless production flow or sequence as well as maintenance and servicing operations. This is where asset management comes in, which plays a vital role in conjunction with the intelligent field devices deployed. Faults and malfunctions must be minimized as far as possible, production optimized, and maintenance and servicing operations coordinated and carried out in an effective manner. The information acquired from the field devices via PROFIBUS PA provides the basis for asset management, and the “identification and maintenance functions” profile required for a PROFIBUS configuration more than pays off.

Unique Identification

Identification and maintenance parameters uniquely classify and pinpoint a field device by assigning it an electronic nameplate. They are available for every device connected to the PROFIBUS PA network. Permanent information specified by the manufacturer is also provided. It includes such details as the manufacturer ID, order number, serial number, hardware revision level, and firmware version. This information is very useful when it comes time to buy spare parts or replace or exchange a device. Information can also be added to the identification and maintenance parameters, including a tag function, tag location, the date of installation, and a supplementary description in plain text format for the 54-byte data record, so that the device can be easily located in the plant and the control system. Installation and maintenance parameters thus lay the foundation for comprehensive device management.

It took just a few minutes for the group to spread out in all directions. The retired workers stood next to “their” plant and instantly recognized many things but also noticed a great deal of changes. Several areas of the plant looked much less cluttered than before, the cable racks were not bulging, and there were far fewer distribution cabinets in the field although it appeared that the number of measuring instruments and valves had gone up. The man with the beard walked right up to a pneumatic valve with a digital positioner and looked at everything very closely…

To be continued: Part 8

www.profibus.com

Further parts of our Profibus series:

Part 1: PROFIBUS – a Proven Technology

Part 2: PROFIBUS — Diagnostics the Easy Way

Part 3: Profibus — Device Management the Easy Way

Part 4: PROFIBUS — for Stable Process Control

Part 5: PROFIBUS — Certification Ensures Compatibility

Part 6: PROFIBUS — Simple and Safe in Explosion Hazard Zones

Part 7: PROFIBUS — Lowering Lifecycle Costs

Part 8: PROFIBUS Simplifies Device Management

Part 9: How PROFIBUS Makes Network Planning a Breeze

Part 10: Condition Monitoring with PROFIBUS PA

Part 11: PROFINET for Process Automation

Part 12: PROFIBUS — Cost–Efficient Throughout the Lifecycle

Watch the video to find out more about the young engineer, the older man, the man with the beard and PROFIBUS PA.

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