Information software new trend for local industry

14th March 2014

By: Mia Breytenbach

Creamer Media Deputy Editor: Features

  

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Industrial software and real-time operations management solutions company Wonderware will launch its new situa- tional awareness graphics software and alarm management software at its X-Change User Conference for Industrial Automation and Information Software, in KwaZulu-Natal, next month.

The software forms part of situational awareness solutions software.

The situational awareness graphics software focuses on providing a new way in which operator interface graphics are generated, and includes a new method for managing opera-ting plants and manufacturing processes, and for presenting information which can easily be processed, says Wonderware Southern Africa MD Deon Barnard.

Wonderware has tested and installed the software system at a mining company in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, he says, adding that the client’s feedback on the application was positive and its adoption was swift and easy.

“As an alternative to large, ostentatious screens, where operators can see all the information available, Wonderware presents information in a way that enables oper- ational staff to focus only on what specifically requires their attention at that moment,” he says, noting that the software aims to assist in swiftly resolving any problems at the plants or in manufacturing processes.

Alarm Management

Barnard told Engineering News last year that, with regard to alarm management, the various alarms at plants made it difficult for operators to distinguish between actual alarms and nuisance alarms, which affec-ted their ability to judge the importance of actual alarms.

The Web-enabled alarm management software, which will be launched in conjunction with the situational awareness graphics software at the conference,
is also applicable to the entire industry.

The software works in collaboration with the new situational awareness solution to provide one view of the plant for operators, while focusing on an alarm component, such as alarm enunciation and announcement.

Last year, Wonderware Southern Africa acquired the distribution rights for the alarm management software in Southern Africa, which is developed by Netherlands-based software solutions company UReason.

The alarm management software supplements the new situational awareness graphics and visualisation software, Barnard says, noting that, if the system draws attention to the critical alarms – from a visual- isation point of view – operators also require software that announces the alarms, sup- presses the noncritical alarms and focuses on the critical alarms.

Wonderware collaborates with clients’ process engineers and applies the technology that enables better control of the plants to determine the most critical factors that require attention and control, such as critical temperatures in furnaces.

While development of the software has been ongoing for the last two years, Wonderware has developed an additional library of standards over the past year that will be included in the software this year.

“The library of standards provides additional value for a plant’s management and if clients are Wonderware software users, there is no extra cost to access this library,” he adds.


Need for Information Software

Although local industry has the core solutions to run plants and manufacturing processes, the demand for information is propelling the need to buy new software that can enhance the industry’s control of processing and manu-facturing, notes Barnard.

“This need has been a trend for the last two to three years, but it has come to the point where the industry is acting on this, he says, adding that companies are placing emphasis on investing in new information software that can be added to their existing investments, such as existing software and equipment, to positively influence manufacturing processes.

Further, Barnard comments that industry, particularly the mining sector, is interested in the new software.

“The solution can enable them to better manage operational control and operational cost, as the operators can focus on key areas at specific intervals,” he notes.

Sales Increase

Meanwhile, the company’s information software sales have increased by about 15% year-on-year, with a significant surge in sales at the end of last year, owing to industry’s interest, says Barnard.

He adds that, although information software currently comprises about 10% of the company’s total revenue, it aims to increase the revenue generated from this software to at least 40% over the next three years, owing to its influence on existing investments.

“The information software is an enabler for the value extraction from manu-facturing processes and industry production,” he concludes.

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

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