Real-Time Decision Making for Manufacturing Industries
By: Nick Campbell
Submitted: 2011-08-25 05:29:09 | Word Count: 671
SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition and has been used in industrial control systems for the last 40 years or so. It can be used to monitor and control industrial, infrastructure and facility-based processes and the computer system monitors and controls these in real time, which gives it an advantage over other kinds of control system. To do this a SCADA system usually uses Human-Machine Interface (HMI), PLC systems (Programmable Logic Controllers) and a communication system, which is responsible for communicating between the field units (PLCs and Remote Terminal Units) and the HMI software. The RTUs can measure a number of different things, such as temperature, flow, level, pressure and proximity through their internal sensors.
The system will start by collecting data from the RTUs and PLC systems and then communicating it to the HMI, where a control room operator can then make any necessary decisions and override the equipment if need be. This is another great advantage of using this kind of system, because it reduces the risks that an entirely automated system may bring. For this reason, SCADA systems were originally used as a safety measure, and are now often employed in high-risk areas or in complex industrial processes where it would not be practical to rely on entire human control. Nevertheless, it can be used with any kind of equipment, and is actually used to control traffic lights as well as energy power plants!
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Whatever the industry, there is always a desire to save money wherever possible, particularly in current times of recession. The best way to do this is by improving the efficiency of the equipment used. By being able to make decisions in real-time, there is less risk of systems going down, thus having significant financial implications for companies. This is why SCADA is particularly popular with manufacturing and utility industries.SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition and has been used in industrial control systems for the last 40 years or so. It can be used to monitor and control industrial, infrastructure and facility-based processes and the computer system monitors and controls these in real time, which gives it an advantage over other kinds of control system. To do this a SCADA system usually uses Human-Machine Interface (HMI), PLC systems (Programmable Logic Controllers) and a communication system, which is responsible for communicating between the field units (PLCs and Remote Terminal Units) and the HMI software. The RTUs can measure a number of different things, such as temperature, flow, level, pressure and proximity through their internal sensors.
The system will start by collecting data from the RTUs and PLC systems and then communicating it to the HMI, where a control room operator can then make any necessary decisions and override the equipment if need be. This is another great advantage of using this kind of system, because it reduces the risks that an entirely automated system may bring. For this reason, SCADA systems were originally used as a safety measure, and are now often employed in high-risk areas or in complex industrial processes where it would not be practical to rely on entire human control. Nevertheless, it can be used with any kind of equipment, and is actually used to control traffic lights as well as energy power plants!
Whatever the industry, there is always a desire to save money wherever possible, particularly in current times of recession. The best way to do this is by improving the efficiency of the equipment used. By being able to make decisions in real-time, there is less risk of systems going down, thus having significant financial implications for companies. This is why SCADA is particularly popular with manufacturing and utility industries.
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