Industrial process automation according to ISA-88 standard

A standardized procedure provides orientation and helps to automate production systems.

ControlTech Engineering AG from Liestal has customers from various industries. A standardized concept for automated production helps all CTE departments and everyone involved to develop the same understanding.

Brief overview

added value for our customers:

based on industry standard ISA-88 and Namur NE 148 widely used

Modular design, flexible in use, easy to expand, adaptable to existing concepts

Advantage for regulated environments: 100% GMP compliant

Based on the ISA-88 standards, CTE has redefined its approach to automation concepts. "The increasing demand from our customers has prompted us to formulate a common language," explains Ronny Wasmer, automation expert at CTE. The main advantage for him is the basis in the industry standard ISA-88, which can already be found in the existing customer base.

CTE's standardized approach is also worthwhile for companies and SMEs that do not yet have an automation concept in place. This is because it forces different suppliers to adhere to the standard as well. They find their way around more quickly and can synchronize with surrounding systems. This saves resources in the form of time and costs. A clear concept at the beginning helps to draw comparisons and added value.

The standardized approach of the CTE takes into account current technologies for systems as well as for protocols and standards (e.g. MTP). The modular structure allows the concept to be flexibly adapted to different circumstances. With the standardized structure in automation, the data obtained is structured in the same way. This means that data comparability and analysis is ensured for further use.

The CTE concept for Automated Production helps. Also in data management! "That's why it makes sense for us at CTE to work with the areas of automation, industrial IT and data management. All areas are interlinked and we benefit from the expert knowledge of everyone involved in such concepts," says Ronny Wasmer.

The complexity of the system can be significantly reduced through modular design.

CTE's standardized approach simplifies large systems. "The modular structure of the specifications and software significantly reduces the complexity of the system," explains Andy Langer, COO of CTE and responsible for research and development at CTE. The reusability of the software structures within the system and also for other systems is guaranteed. Functionalities and securities are implemented in the software as independently and structured as possible. This is a significant added value, especially when expanding the system.

Consistent modularity provides a high degree of flexibility: test times and errors are reduced as tests are also carried out and completed in the office or on the system in a modular fashion. With clearly definable influencing factors, this approach ensures optimum controllability. Individual customer requirements can of course be integrated into the CTE concept for Automated Production . The automation standards can be used as a basis for evaluating the requirements in several steps together with the responsible persons.

"I think that we score where no automation standards have yet been specified," says Ronny Wasmer. If there are no modular structures, there is often hardly any flexibility when adapting products and processes. Reprogramming and qualification become lengthy and expensive. "This is where CTE comes in. We help when different suppliers make life difficult with their own concepts and specifications." Of course, CTE also loves to automate systems from the ground up. In short: the CTE concept is worthwhile for any industrial process automation.

"We score points where no automation standards have yet been specified."

Ronny Wasmer

Read more about the experiences of our customer nimeg ag / nimeg GU ag with our standardized automation concept.

learn more

In a regulated environment, the CTE automation standard enables us to meet all requirements seamlessly.

Alexander Frei, Head of Compliance - nimeg ag / nimeg GU ag

ISA-88 for Batch Control

The ISA-88 or S88 provides a framework that shows how structures for the system software, the system equipment and the process sequence can be set up. At the same time, the standard offers scope for interpretation in order to respond to individual customer requirements. Non-modular software usually leads to high complexity, which in turn can lead to long test times for FATs (software office tests) and long commissioning times.

"The first step is to assess the initial situation and listen to our customers' requirements. Together, we formulate a URS or specification sheet and specific requirements. Only then do the CTE experts consider the conceptual results," explains Ronny Wasmer. Due to their complexity, these tasks are often tackled in workshops lasting several days, in which all ideas are recorded. "It's an important phase so that everyone is talking about the same thing," adds Ronny Wasmer. This helps to avoid misunderstandings - and therefore additional costs and potential frustration.