Abstract:
An industrial automation system having field devices connected by at least two types of field buses to a process controller is provided. A mapping between device types of the field devices and templates for producing device-specific data on the field devices is defined. A template defines at least one connection to a field device according to a specific device type. A tag uniquely identifying a device in the industrial automation system by an identifier is obtained. The identifier comprises information indicating at least a device type and a field bus of a field device in the industrial automation system. A template matching to the device type and field bus identified by the tag is determined. The determined template is executed for obtaining device-specific data of the device.
Abstract:
An asset management system comprising a plurality of assets (12), a plurality of sensors for determining one or more operating conditions for each of said assets and one or more processors (14,22) for determining a risk profile (26,28,30) for each of the assets over time. The processor is arranged to calculate an risk index value for each asset from the risk profile, the risk index providing a relative indicator of the need for maintenance of an asset. A maintenance queue is established and assets are entered into the queue once the risk index value for that asset matches or exceeds a predetermined threshold value (20), the position of the asset in the queue being determined based upon the value of its risk index.
Abstract:
A system for managing a processing system and/or a processing system component is described. The system may include a wear-out module configured to provide a wear-out signal, the wear-out signal indicating a remaining amount of useful life of the component; a health module configured to provide a health signal, the health signal indicating an extent to which operational and environmental factors affect a failure rate of the component during a useful life of the component; and a mission module configured to provide a mission signal, the mission signal indicative of whether an operating condition is approaching a threshold that would adversely affect the system's ability to meet at least one performance objective.
Abstract:
The invention relates to an apparatus, particularly a extruder or injection molding machine, for user-specifically monitoring and preferably regulating the processing of plastic materials. Said apparatus comprises a material feeding mechanism (1) that delivers the plastic as a raw material, a plasticizing device (2) which plasticizes/homogenizes the raw material, and a molding device (3) that shapes the plasticized/homogenized raw material into a product. A data link can be established between a control device (5) and an input device (130) via which at least one value of a process input variable, such as the cost of the apparatus, the raw material, power, and processed quantity, can be input. At least one process monitoring variable, e.g. the duration of a product cycle, product cost, raw material used/power consumed per product cycle, expected purchase price for a given quantity of a product, and number of product cycles until maintenance, can be determined essentially in real time from at least one process control variable and/or process input variable by means of a processor device (14). A data link can be established between the control device (5) and an output device (16) via which at least one value of at least one process monitoring variable, such as the actual desired, or mean value, the value integrated since starting, the history or tendency of said value, can be output and can be represented, preferably with the aid of a characteristic diagram.
Abstract:
A condition of an industrial process is diagnosed based upon process variable information related to a value of a measured process variable. Histogram information is calculated based upon the determined process variable information and. time information related to a duration of time the measured process variable has the value. Condition of the industrial process is diagnosed based upon the calculated histogram information.
Abstract:
A system and method for monitoring process equipment includes collecting information from the process equipment. The collected information is statistically analyzed. One or more signatures indicating the overall status or health of one or more pieces of equipment can be developed.
Abstract:
A method and computer-based apparatus for monitoring the degradation of, predicting the remaining service life of, and/or planning maintenance for, an operating system are disclosed. Diagnostic information on degradation of the operating system is obtained through measurement of one or more performance characteristics by one or more sensors onboard and/or proximate the operating system. Though not required, it is preferred that the sensor data are validated to improve the accuracy and reliability of the service life predictions. The condition or degree of degradation of the operating system is presented to a user by way of one or more calculated, numeric degradation figures of merit that are trended against one or more independent variables using one or more mathematical techniques. Furthermore, more than one trendline and uncertainty interval may be generated for a given degradation figure of merit/independent variable data set. The trendline(s) and uncertainty interval(s) are subsequently compared to one or more degradation figure of merit thresholds to predict the remaining service life of the operating system. The present invention enables multiple mathematical approaches in determining which trendline(s) to use to provide the best estimate of the remaining service life.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a wireless home automation system having a controller for controlling a broad variety of functions via two ways communication with a plurality of devices. More specifically, the invention relates to a new and flexible way of establishing a wireless network by using devices which functions as both input/output devices and repeaters. By establishing an even distribution of dual-functionality devices, the user can reach any device without use of dedicated repeater stations. The controllers and devices of the system comprises means for generating a signal comprising a destination identifier, instructions related to the input/output of the destination or source device, and a repeater identifier. The devices according to the invention are adapted to act as input/output devices and signal repeating devices in that the processors of each device comprises means for, upon reception of a signal, processing said information in its processor if the destination identifier corresponds to the device identifier of the device, and means for, upon reception of a signal, transmitting a second signal holding at least said destination identifier and said instruction if the repeater identifier corresponds to the device identifier of the device.
Abstract:
For estimating interference expected to be encountered by downlink communications toward a communication device located inside a moving conveyance moving over a path, the interference being expected to be encountered due to presence of wayside interferers and presence of on-board interferers, a processing device: obtains first observations of interference performed during at least one first journey for at least one first portion of said path; obtains second observations of interference performed during the first journey(s) for a second portion of said path; obtaining third observations of interference performed during a second journey for said first portion(s); estimating the interference expected to be encountered on said second portion during said second journey, by combining the obtained first, second and third observations such that the part of the third observations related to interference induced by wayside interferers is substantially compensated by the first observations and the part of the second observations related to interference induced by on-board interferers is substantially compensated by the first observations.