Winlog Evo 4.0 graphics capabilities.

 

Winlog Evo 4.0 now supports the SVG vector graphics standard (Scalable Vector Graphics) and integrates the new Symbol Factory 3.0 graphics library. More info

Kate explains SCADA software

Kate will guide you in a new video course available on our YouTube channel, which explains how to develop SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) applications. The topics are treated in a monographic way in order to allow easier use. 👉 Follow the course here. 👈

SCADA, IoT and Industry 4.0

The IoT and IIoT (Internet of Things and Industrial Internet of Things) acronyms indicate all those technologies that make it possible to transform any object, be it a sensor, an actuator, a vehicle or an appliance, into a device connected to the Internet, which is in able to send data to the cloud using light and fast protocols such as MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport).

The increasing trend to use cloud applications has pushed SCADA technologies to evolve towards integration with the Internet of Things. In fact, SCADA systems can increase the potential of the Industrial Internet of Things. By integrating the two technologies, you can get a much faster, more detailed and even more safe collection and verification of company data.

These systems, due to their architecture, are especially suited to manage: remote maintenance, remote diagnosis and remote control monitoring and control of the working conditions of the machines monitoring of energy and water consumption and reduction of emissions quality control at the production system level and related processes.

These systems include the key enabling technologies (Key Enabling Technologies - KET's) of Industry 4.0 (SCADA, IoT, cloud, big data, cybersecurity). FOR MORE INFORMATION

Why use SCADA Software

SCADA applications are used today in most industrial fields and are an indispensable aid for all companies, regardless of size and sector of activity. SCADA software is the most suitable development environment for the easy and intuitive creation of complex SCADA applications.

SCADA applications provide several benefits, but having to highlight one in particular, we can say that they replace the man in carrying out many routine and tedious tasks, which increases productivity, provides a faster management of alarms and reduces the risk of potentially dangerous situations for the environment. More generally, we can say that SCADA applications: Provide a large amount of information. All system status information, both acquired from the field sensors and provided by real-time control devices (PLC), is collected, saved and made available for further processing, aimed at quality control, efficiency gain and production optimization. Provide a synthetic and clear picture of the production plant. A series of templates, that are part of the human-machine interface (HMI), provide the operator with a graphical picture of the whole process, its evolution over time and the unexpected deviations (alarms). By this way all information relevant to the process are translated into a visual language of easy understanding for the operator. Can grow and adapt easily to the growth of the company. The modular and flexible structure of SCADA software makes it possible to adapt to the different situations that arise when the company needs to grow or change, to respond to the challenges of a globalized market. The SCADA software includes, for example, all the development tools that allow to modify the SCADA application in order to provide communication with new devices, in a context characterized by a variety of transmission media and different communication protocols. Allow centralized control of remote units. Many companies, especially those that manage public service networks (water, electricity, etc.), are characterized by a structure distributed throughout the territory, which traditionally requires the fixed or programmed presence of technical staff for operation and maintenance. The SCADA application ensures remote control of peripheral units and allows technical staff to access all information with a simple browser. FOR MORE INFORMATION

What is SCADA Software

SCADA software is an integrated development environement which allows creation of SCADA HMI applications. Several SCADA software from various manufacturers are available, with significant differences in price and performance. The choice of the SCADA software most suitable for the application to be developed depends on several factors, as well as personal preferences, but is generally based on the complexity of the project, the required performances, any constraints imposed by the client and the available budget.

You should also consider the learning time, which is usually higher in case of a more complex SCADA software. As a general rule, the choice of a complex SCADA software is justified when the project involves a large and high-cost plant, for which software cost and learning time are no longer relevant. in the case of small-to-medium projects with a limited budget, it is advisable to move towards SCADA software that have a lower cost and require a shorter learning time.

All SCADA software, regardless of complexity, must however have common features regarding the following topics: Communication: a set of development tools and communication drivers to interface with most of electronic devices (PLCs, controllers, meters, etc.) from various manufacturesrs operating in the Industrial Automation market. It allows to build the DB of the variables to be exchanged with external devices and includes the most common communication protocols such as OPC, Siemens, Omron, Allen Bradley, Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, KNX, Bacnet, etc. Human Machine Interface (HMI): a set of development tools and graphic libraries to create static and animated templates. It is important to underline the importance of graphics in the development of a SCADA application. The human-machine interface (HMI) is in fact all the more effective, the more it is able to provide the operator with a prompt and complete image of the whole process, highlighting the status, the evolution and the unexpected deviations (alarms). Process information: a set of development tools to allow the operator to have all the information describing the current status of the process (online data) and its evolution over time (historical data). For example, to allow the operator to be promptly notified in case of malfunction or to analyze the graphical trends of the monitored and recorded process variables. Reports: a set of development tools to sort and process the information acquired from the process in order to generate reports for production and quality managers. Reports usually refer to a specific production batch, highlighting its characteristics and certifying its compliance with the requirements. Architecture: a set of tools and rules to build complex architectures in case of multiple applications interacting with each other through local (LAN) or public (Internet) networks and able to interface with multiple operators both local and remote (via browser) FOR MORE INFORMATION

Data Acquisition

Data acquisition not only means transfer of information from peripheral devices to supervisory computers, but also transfer of information in the opposite direction, in order to allow the supervisory system to control the process, that is to direct its evolution by modifying the values of the variables that condition its operation.

We can say that data acquisition is the main function among those performed by SCADA systems. In fact, by putting the process in communication with the supervision, data acquisition makes it possible for the supervisory system to get all the information on the process status that are necessary to allow the observation of the process itself.

The task of data acquisition is to ensure the error-free transfer of information between process and supervision, in a context characterized by a variety of transmission media and different communication protocols. FOR MORE INFORMATION

Control

The control function of a SCADA system consists in the ability of the control system to interact with the controlled process, in order to modify its evolution according to pre-established rules or decisions taken by the operator.

It is important to underline that, with “control of a SCADA system, we do not mean “real time process control”, usually the prerogative of the PLC, but rather the ability to modify the evolution of the process, for example by sending a different work recipe.

To better clarify the concept, we can say that, with reference to a particular process temperature, the task of a real time control is to keep this temperature unchanged (by acting on the appropriate actuators), while the task of the SCADA control is to fix the temperature at which the process should work (by sending the appropriate set point). FOR MORE INFORMATION

Supervision

Supervision is the function that allows the operator to have an immediate view of the process status and to control how the process evolves over time by analyzing the sequence of operating states.

The main task of the supervision is to realize the human-machine interface (HMI). To be effective, the HMI must provide the operator with a prompt and complete image of the whole process, highlighting the status, the evolution and the unexpected deviations (alarms).

For an effective HMI, the graphic representation is of great importance, since it translates information relevant to the process into a visual language of easy understanding for the operator.

For example, you can display the status of a pump through a graphic symbol with different colors, the change of the value of a pressure through a graphical trend, the occurrence of an alarm through a pop-up window. FOR MORE INFORMATION

What is SCADA

The word SCADA means “Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition”. The definition clearly explains what are the functions and objectives of a SCADA system, namely supervision, control and data acquisition.

A SCADA system is part of an architecture that includes: One or more computers, connected to each other, that perform the supervisory functions and implement the human-machine interface (HMI) A series of peripheral devices (RTUs, i/o Modules, PLCs) that interface to the process (machinery, plant, etc.) through sensors and actuators A communication network, with a variety of transmission media and communication protocols, able to ensure the correct exchange of data between peripheral devices and supervisory computers

A SCADA software is an integrated development environment, which provides all the tools necessary to create SCADA applications, designed to run on supervisory computers and perform the functions that are typical of a SCADA system: supervision control data acquisition FOR MORE INFORMATION

Sielco Sistemi si offre come partner nella realizzazione di soluzioni integrate hardware/software per la supervisione di impianti industriali, per la raccolta e l'elaborazione dei dati di produzione, per il controllo di qualità dei processi di produzione e di conservazione o per il telecontrollo di dispositivi periferici o di reti di pubblica utilità. La specifica esperienza acquisita in diversi settori industriali (dal tessile alla plastica, dal legno all'alimentare, dalla ceramica alle telecomunicazioni) ci permette di collaborare con il cliente nel modo più efficace, trovando un linguaggio comune, capendo i problemi e individuando le soluzioni più appropriate, rispondendo sempre in modo tempestivo a tutte le sollecitazioni. Direttamente o attraverso la nostra rete di Solution Provider (quando considerazioni di carattere logistico lo suggeriscano) siamo in grado di offrire una serie di servizi e di proposte di collaborazione che vanno dalla consulenza in fase di definizione del progetto allo sviluppo congiunto dell'applicazione, dall'assistenza in fase di avviamento a un completo supporto post-vendita (assistenza, corsi, aggiornamenti). FOR MORE INFORMATION

Progettazione impianti per il settore enologico

Sielco Sistemi e Save Impianti si offrono come partner nella progettazione e realizzazione di impianti per il settore enologico che utilizzano le più recenti tecnologie al fine di assicurare sia il raggiungimento di elevati standard qualitativi, sia la certificazione dei processi di produzione e conservazione.

Le tecnologie proposte si collocano tra la pressatura dell'uva e l'imbottigliamento dei vini, dal controllo delle temperature di fermentazione dei mosti alla concentrazione a multipli effetti sottovuoto, dalla desolforazione alla produzione di MCR, dalla stabilizzazione tartarica all'arricchimento dei mosti mediante osmosi.

Tutte le variabili significative del processo produttivi sono costantemente monitorate e rese disponibili all'operatore sotto forma di sinottici e tracciati grafici; qualsiasi anomalia viene immediatamente riconosciuta e può essere segnalata al personale di assistenza tramite invio di SMS; al termine del processo vengono generati dei rapporti di conformità che certificano modalità e qualità della produzione.

Vengono inoltre elaborati rapporti sul rendimento degli impianti di produzione e sulle materie prime utilizzate. Informazioni sullo stato di funzionamento dell'impianto e sulla produzione in corso possono essere rese disponibili agli operatori dei vari reparti tramite stazioni Client collegate in rete oppure, grazie all'opzione Web Server, a qualsiasi utente Internet dotato delle opportune password. PER MAGGIORI INFORMAZIONI

Design of plants for wine production

Sielco Sistemi and Save Impianti offer themselves as a partner in design and development of industrial plants for production of wine according to most up to date technologies, in order to achieve a high and certified quality standard in both production and storage processes.

The offered technologies apply to the production process from grapes squeezing to wine bottling (control of fermentation temperature, vacuum concentration, desulphurization, MCR production, tartaric stabilization, must enrichment by osmosis, etc.).

All main variables of production process are continuously monitored and displayed to the operator as templates or graphical trends; any malfunctioning is promptly recognized and can be reported to assistance staff by sending a proper SMS.

At the end of the process the system generates quality reports that certify compliance with production requirements; the system also generates production reports usable to evaluate performance of production facilities and consumption of raw materials.

General information on plant operation and production process status can be made available to operators in various departments through Client stations linked to the LAN or, thanks to the Web Server option, to any Internet Client with a standard browser. FOR MORE INFORMATION

Supervisione di un'isola automatica per trattamenti termici

Il sistema gestisce un'isola di trattamento termico automatizzata per bonifica, cementazione e tempra. L'applicazione di supervisione comunica con una rete di PLC Siemens SIMATIC S7 tramite protocollo MPI (server Applicom).

Il materiale da trattare viene abbinato alla sua ricetta di lavorazione e posizionato su uno dei bancali di attesa. Una logica di processo asincrona verifica la disponibilità da parte di forni, rinvenimenti e lavatrice a ricevere il materiale. Il sistema consente di accedere a un database di ricette contenenti i dati di processo e i dati anagrafici delle cariche.

Il sinottico principale fornisce la posizione, lo stato di avanzamento delle varie lavorazioni e il dettaglio di funzionamento dei moduli che compongono l'isola di trattamento. A fine produzione vengono generati i rapporti di qualità che contengono i dati anagrafici della carica e i grafici delle temperature e delle percentuali di carbonio delle varie fasi della produzione; a completamento del rapporto è prevista una sezione nella quale inserire le misure di durezza dei pezzi prodotti.

A completamento del pacchetto di supervisone, Sielco Sistemi offre un sistema di ottimizzazione e di schedulazione delle cariche che permette di inviare più ricette consecutive al sistema e di ottenere la sequenza più idonea ad utilizzare l'impianto in modo razionale ed economico. PER MAGGIORI INFORMAZIONI

Supervisory control of an automatic installation for heat treating

The system manages a continuous line for carburizing, tempering, hardening heat treatments. The SCADA application communicates with a PLC Siemens SIMATIC S7 network using MPI protocol (server Applicom).

Batch materials are linked to their treatment recipes and positioned on parking platforms. An asynchronous process logic verifies furnaces and washers availability to receive the materials. The system allows accessing the recipes database that contains batch identification and process data. The main template shows position and progress status of each process and provides a detailed view of each heat treatment element.

At the end of any batch production, the application generates quality control reports containing batch identification data and temperature and carbon percentage charts for each phase of the treatment; in each report it is available a section in which it is possible to insert the measure of mechanical characteristics of produced material.

Optionally, Sielco Sistemi offers a scheduling and optimizing batch system that allows sending of many consecutive recipes to the treatment line and obtaining the best sequence to use all the heat treatment elements in a rational and economic way. FOR MORE INFORMATION

Supervisione di forni continui e intermittenti per cottura ceramiche

Sielco Sistemi ha realizzato una famiglia di applicazioni per la supervisione e il controllo di impianti cottura ceramiche. I sistemi permettono di controllare le variabili di processo (temperature, depressione, diluizione, ...) e di analizzare il loro andamento nel tempo.

La ripetibilità e la qualità delle produzioni sono garantite attraverso la gestione di ricette di produzione e la costruzione di rapporti a fine lotto. Nelle applicazioni per forni continui possibile visualizzare la curva di cottura reale e teorica del prodotto al fine di avere un riscontro immediato sulla qualità del processo in corso.

Nelle applicazioni per forni intermittenti è possibile costruire la curva di temperatura e diluizione aria che il forno eseguirà con possibilità di anteprima grafica.

I sistemi controllano in opzione i consumi di gas metano ed energia elettrica ripartiti per utenza e produzione.

Tutti i sistemi possono essere integrati su rete ethernet con protocollo TCP/IP e struttura client/server. PER MAGGIORI INFORMAZIONI

Supervisory control of brick and ceramics kilns

Sielco Sistemi realised a family of applications for supervision and control of brick and ceramics kilns. The systems allow to control process variables (temperature, pressure, dilution, ...) and to analyse them in time related charts.

Repeatability and production quality are ensured by production recipes management and batch reports. In continuous kilns applications, it is possible to display current and theoretical product temperature curve in order to verify immediately the quality of the running process.

In intermittent kilns applications, it is possible to build the temperature and air dilution curve that the kiln will execute with screen preview.

The systems optionally control burners gas and electrical energy consumption, reporting them for each production or part of plant.

All systems can be integrated in a TCP/IP protocol network with client/server structure. FOR MORE INFORMATION

Controllo filiera in un impianto per la produzione di gelati

Per garantire l'igiene e la sicurezza dei prodotti alimentari sono state recentemente introdotte, sia dal legislatore che ha recipito anche direttive comunitarie, sia in forma di autocontrollo, normative finalizzate alla tutela del consumatore

Il sistema SCADA proposto ad esempio è stato realizzato per un società produttrice di gelati, semifreddi e altri derivati del latte allo scopo di controllare in maniera razionale e documentata la produzione; in particolare esso consente di garantire la qualità del processo di pastorizzazione, di fornire un controllo capillare sullo stato di lavorazione delle miscele nei tini di maturazione, nonché di garantire l'efficacia dei lavaggi e della sterilizzazione degli stessi.

Più stazioni di supervisione, collegate fra loro tramite rete TCP/IP, permettono, oltre all'operatività locale, di rendere disponibili a tutti gli altri PC le informazioni necessarie al coordinamento del processo produttivo fra i vari reparti dislocati su una superficie di ragguardevoli dimensioni.

Le variabili raccolte dal campo vengono successivamente rielaborate e rese disponibili sotto forma di rapporti, anche grafici, al fine di certificare, la qualità dei prodotti e le modalità di tutti i processi produttivi a cui sono stati sottoposti. Vengono inoltre rese disponibili informazioni sul rendimento e sull' efficienza degli impianti di produzione e sulle materie prime utilizzate. PER MAGGIORI INFORMAZIONI

Supervisory control of ice cream production plant

In order to guarantee the hygiene and the safety of food products, new rules for the consumer safeguard have been introduced in the food industry, both established by international control organizations and autonomously decided by the manufacturers.

The SCADA system presented has been realized for a company that produces ice-creams and other by-products of milk in order to control and certify the production process and to reduce the possibility of human errors; the SCADA system guarantees the quality of the pasteurization process, provides a systematic control on the working status of the mixtures contained in the repining tanks, ensures the effectiveness of tanks cleaning and sterilization.

One or more Client stations, linked together via a TCP/IP network, make available to every department all the information necessary for the coordination of a manufacturing process distributed in a wide area.

All variables that have been acquired from the field are processed to generate a series of reports with graphical trends that certificate both the quality of the final product and the whole manufacturing process. The system also provides reports that give information about general plant productivity and raw materials consumption. FOR MORE INFORMATION

Controllo qualità nella produzione alimentare

Le recenti normative in fatto di qualità richiedono che i processi di produzione e di conservazione siano certificati e rispondenti a criteri precisi; il sistema di controllo qualità basato sulla piattaforma software Winlog Pro è stato applicato con successo in diverse industrie del settore alimentare; permette infatti di adeguarsi alla normativa limitando al minimo i costi di intervento e le conseguenze sulla produzione.

Il sistema raccoglie le variabili significative del processo e le rielabora in rapporti e grafici che certificano la conformità del lotto prodotto; successivamente il sistema certifica che i lotti prodotti siano conservati in condizioni tali da garantire che le caratteristiche originarie non vengano alterate; qualsiasi anomalia nel processo di produzione o di conservazione viene immediatamente segnalata e, in caso di ambienti non presidiati, provoca l'invio di SMS verso i cellulari in dotazione al personale di assistenza; tramite rete TCP/IP tutte le informazioni prodotte possono essere rese disponibili presso una o più stazioni Client. PER MAGGIORI INFORMAZIONI

Quality control system in food industry

Production and storage process in food industry are subjected to specific laws related to quality control; the quality control system based on the Winlog Pro software SCADA platform has been successfully applied in many sectors of food industry; actually it gives the possibility to comply with requested quality control criteria limiting both the investment cost and the production loss due to the installation of the system.

The system provides a continuous monitoring of all the significant variables of the process and generates quality control reports with graphical trends that certify the compliance of the production lot; the system also certifies that the storage process doesn't affect the quality of the stored product and doesn't cause any modification of the original characteristics. Any abnormal condition in the production or storage process is promptly detected and signalled with a local alarm; in case of unattended environment, a SMS can be sent to the cellular phone of a maintenance staff operator.

All information generated can be made available to one or more Client stations (local or remote) linked via a TCP/IP protocol. FOR MORE INFORMATION