PlantPAx is Rockwell Automation’s modern distributed control system (DCS) designed for plant-wide control and optimization. Unlike traditional DCS systems, PlantPAx leverages a scalable, open architecture based on Rockwell’s Logix platform, allowing seamless integration of process, discrete, power, motion, and safety control in a single, unified environment.
Read more about PlantPAx here: https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-ca/capabilities/process-solutions/process-systems/plantpax-distributed-control-system.html
Customer Issue
The customer has a Rockwell Automation control platform, and every control system is designed and programmed differently. As their plant continued to expand, they needed to find a way to standardize this process.
There was room for improved workplace efficiency as new team members needed to be trained to support many different machines all programmed differently. There was also a need to be able to recreate the same product from multiple machines in multiple different facilities, while still being able to easily modify current process and add additional processes.
Proposed Solution
The proposed solution to the customer was to integrate PlantPAx, which would provide the customer with a single, plant-wide control system and increased flexibility.
PlantPAx would allow the system to be designed in a way that would standardize the integration process resulting in reduced development costs. Using PlantPAx throughout multiple machines in the facility would keep operator interaction consistent, requiring less training on new devices, including during maintenance. Using PlantPAx would also allow for easy modifications and additions to the system, as well as ease of replicating products from one machine or facility to another.
Everything would be very transparent, allowing for almost all operations completed in the code to be viewed or modified from the HMI. This easy view of operations would result in less programming assistance and more that can be handled by trained operators.
Challenges Faced
The initial setup of the program took considerable time due to the complex nature of the program.
Additionally, the integration of PlantPAx faced the customer’s system operators with an up-front learning curve. The operators (if logged in) now had increased freedom to change different variables within the process. This change added a significant amount of information to learn up front. The operators required a little more time than expected to feel comfortable with the new system. However, once an understanding was gained, the operators found it to be flexible to do as they required.
Results & Benefits
The integration of PlantPAx achieved the following for the customer:
Contact us today to see how Black Controls can integrate PlantPAx at your site.