Historical plant monitoring and analysis

[AndrewNairn]

I am trying to specify a method for historically analysing data collected from the machines that we make which we can supply as an extra to customers, and also use it as a means of troubleshooting our machines when there is a service call.

The machines deal with metal processing, and currently have about 300 measurement points collected by an omron PLC and stored on some flash memory. The machine is controlled by a touch screen attached to the PLC.

I am looking at some of Wonderware's offerings (IndustrialSQL and ActiveFactory).

The system needs to:
- Store data for a reasonable period of time and allow fast access to it.

- Allow trend analysis and low-level alarms (email or similar) if something is showing pending problems.

- Be easy for the customer to use (i.e. they don't need a full-time programmer to maintain it).

- Not require a lot of post-manipulation of data to get meaningful results.

- Allow us to access the data remotely to troubleshoot. The machines are often in remote parts of the world where full internet access is problematic, and customers can be secretive about their production data.

Questions:

- Is a wonderware solution overkill for what we need (i.e. will customers pay for it...) when there may be a much easier way of achieving what we need?

- Anyone use anything similar in terms of trend analysis and what are their experiences?

Any advice warmly received!

Thanks, Andrew

 

[iCougari]

Andrew,

No i don't think the Wonderware InSQL is overkill. I think they have a 500 tag offering of the product.

I have been using it for a number of years and it has proved valuable in all sorts of analysis.

The packaged Active Factory tools are good and give you the rough data you need but if you want to extend any reporting then you may need to brush up on your SQL Server skills.

As for analysis for troubleshooting, i have engineers and amangers who access live plant data from home regularly.

Regards

James

 

[vanoorta]

Do you only need to display data that has already been collected or will you need to add the capability to acquire more points in the future? If so, I would consider moving to an ethernet based I/O controller that can send data directly to a Server and store it in a SQL database or similar. There are some low-cost remote monitoring solutions out there that are based around Ethernet. A company in Switzerland (Barix) sells a slick little controller called the BarioNet that can easily be used to monitor a few points around your plant and can report back to any number of software packages with the data. It can do SNMP traps, it is Modbus compatible, etc...

 

[Fargowind]

Have you thought of RS Bizware? it basically is a rssql database that allows you to log data from your PLC through a neet "little" program called RS historian. It logs whichever tags from your PLC you want it to log for as long as you want.
For more info I would suggest you visit rockwell automation's website