For manufacturers seeking better integration of their process control and process safety applications, Rockwell Automation’ PlantPAx process automation system offers new capabilities, including the integration of ICS ‘Trusted’ Triplex SIL 3 triple modular redundant (TMR) technology and the scalable AADvance process safety systems. These capabilities help users avoid unplanned incidents and hazards that pose risk to personnel, assets and the environment.
The new integration allows process control and process safety systems to communicate directly with each other and share important data, such as diagnostic information, system status, alarms, events and other critical information. This helps improve productivity, minimise troubleshooting time and provides faster recovery from interruptions without compromising safety or security. Art Pietrzyk, critical process control and safety segment manager at Rockwell Automation takes up the story.
“PlantPAx is the result of significant investment by Rockwell Automation and this most recent expansion gives users more efficient choices to meet their safety requirements. They can choose the level of integration they want while using technology that precisely matches the SIL level and fault tolerances they need.” This scalability means customers can now choose between a range of affordable options that meet their application requirements.
The ICS Triplex Trusted system is an original TMR SIL 3-certified platform that provides a high level of availability and fault tolerance, and has been field proven for years.
Meanwhile, the modular AADvance system is a means of achieving safety in critical control applications in a cost-effective manner. It requires fewer I/O and can be used for simplex, duplex and triplex functions with SIL 1, 2 or 3 requirements.
The integration between ICS Triplex safety platforms (SIS - safety instrumented systems) and the PlantPAx process control system (BPCS - basic process control system) is ideal for petroleum, heavy chemical and other applications that require separation between process safety and process control, but also want to achieve the clear advantages of a single network, architecture and information platform.
The common data infrastructure allows the sharing of alarms and data over a single EtherNet/IP network while allowing for a common HMI to display the events and information across the enterprise. Based on the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), EtherNet/IP communicates with other CIP-based networks to provide a seamless data path from the plant floor to the enterprise IT level.
With tighter integration on a common open network, EtherNet/IP is claimed to help reduce the typical network installation and support costs by up to 50%. In addition to these reduced costs, the seamless CIP integration helps reduce the engineering time and effort needed to integrate BPCS and SIS by up to two days compared with traditional methods such as OPC.
With PlantPAx system software, customers have the additional benefit of device management for sensors, instruments, drives, valves and other assets, which can are easily configured. But for those customers who prefer to use Rockwell’s ControlLogix platform for SIL 2 applications, the company has also introduced new fault-tolerant I/O and configurable AOIs (add-on instructions) for its SIL 2 TUV-certified Allen-Bradley ControlLogix programmable automation controller (PAC). The configurable, easy-to-use AOIs reduce application logic for both fail-safe and fault-tolerant SIL 2 application systems. ARC Research director, Larry O’Brien endorses the new PlantPAx/ ICS Triplex expansion:
“The level of integration between ICS Triplex platforms and the PlantPAx system alleviates the custom integration by users and presents operational value for both control and visibility across systems. The approach allows the systems to be ‘integrated’ while maintaining ‘separation’ – both are important to safety and process control customers. The possibility of common cause failure is also reduced.”
PlantPAx – what’s new?
Rockwell recently introduced a series of servers and workstations, complete with pre-installed software and a pre-configured operating system, for its PlantPAx process automation system. These are claimed to significantly reduce the time and costs associated with specifying, procuring and installing system hardware and software.
The workstations and servers are pre-engineered and tested together as a system to help ensure that the process performance requirements are met. This helps reduce errors, such as installing or configuring software in the wrong order or using inappropriately sized hardware. The new offerings are industrially hardened and will tolerate high levels of shock, vibration and humidity encountered in process environments.
Available for shipping in now, the initial offering includes two process application system servers that can be used to host human interface displays and consolidate data access, and one operator workstation, which serves as the window to the process.