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CTE is now using WinMOD not only for simple IO simulations, but also for more complex process simulations, which enable, for example, the testing of system recipes or the training of employees. Our customer from the pharmaceutical industry has already benefited from the advantages.
This example shows that the benefits of a simulation are not limited to a specific application. Rather, simulation can repeatedly offer positive partial benefits over the entire service life, from conceptual design to the decommissioning or refurbishment of a plant:
Recognizing design errors at an early stage of development
Reduction of dependencies in planning and therefore greater planning security
Accelerating the production and testing of automation software
Testing of software changes and increased security during their implementation
Setting and parameterizing the automation software
Reducing the burden on employees
Process simulations are not yet being welcomed by all customers in the industry. This is mainly due to the widespread opinion that they are not needed. However, we can counter this view with some weighty arguments.
One of our clients, a renowned pharmaceutical company in the Basel area, discovered that process simulations can play a key role in increasing a plant’s profitability and revenue. Delays in the construction of a plant meant that it had to be commissioned twice. This was because the MES systemWhat is an MES system?A MES (Manufacturing Execution System) controls and documents the production process from raw materials to the finished product through automated, real-time data exchange with the equipment. was completed later than planned. To ensure the plant could be commissioned with the MES system—and thus complete the integration of approximately 14,000 I/Os within one month—the automation software had to be of exceptionally high quality.
The effort involved in SATWhat does SAT stand for?The SAT (Site Acceptance Test) is an on-site test conducted at the customer's location to ensure that the system functions properly under operating conditions after installation. had to be minimized. It was therefore essential to test the software prior to commissioning. Consequently, we were commissioned to build a simulation, whereby LabVIEW was a simple and practical solution for creating a process simulation on time and implementing it successfully.
However, the high time requirements for commissioning were not the only reason for placing the order. In addition, due to the high complexity of the system, there was a need to test the system recipes and train the employees. By testing the recipes, it was possible to eliminate the most significant errors and to simplify or shorten their introduction by training the employees.
With WinMOD, we have brought a technology into our company that allows us to create process simulations in line with requirements and with a considerable time advantage over the conventional method (LabVIEW) thanks to tools for the automated creation of process simulations and prefabricated function blocks. According to the current state of development, complex infrastructure for connecting the simulation to the automation system is a thing of the past, also due to the implementation of the OPC standard. WinMOD's development with regard to automated engineering is moving in the direction of generating process simulations directly from the P&ID. A Comos interface, which also generates a model based on the system planning, is thus developing from a vague fantasy into a tangible idea.
As we at CTE also want to stay up to date in this area of automation , we are stepping up our efforts and upgrading our infrastructure so that we can offer our customers process simulations in line with their ideas and requirements. Our aim is to make simulation as easy as possible for our customers to use and to develop attractive offers for this purpose. To achieve this, we rely on a centralized infrastructure, which the customer can access remotely if required.