8
Interfacing to the IT world
with SIMATIC IT and @PCS 7
For plant management and other exec-
utives, information technology (IT),
process data management and produc-
tion planning have become important
elements for reducing costs and opti-
mizing processes. Global competition
means that companies distributed over
several locations must be able to manu-
facture products that meet customer
specifications and expectations, and to
do this more quickly and with the flexi-
bility to change schedules and recipes
on short notice.
These new requirements for global
competition, along with regulatory
pressure and product tracking needs,
make the integration of process auto-
mation systems with other business and
ERP systems (such as SAP) increasingly
significant.
The SIMATIC PCS 7 process control
system provides an open and uniform
system platform for vertical integration
of the process automation, operational
management and company manage-
ment functions. This is a stable platform
that is equipped to grow as your
requirements change over time.
Integration and synchronization of all
processes using SIMATIC IT
The integration of planning, procure-
ment and manufacturing is a complex
task, especially when location-specific
equipment and procedural differences
are taken into consideration. SIMATIC IT
makes the integration of these pro-
cesses transparent, and helps to opti-
mize the complete system.
SIMATIC IT is a technology platform for
e-manufacturing in compliance with
the ISA S95 standard. It coordinates
manufacturing functions according to
explicit production rules such that an
optimum workflow is achieved.
The main elements of SIMATIC IT are:
·
SIMATIC IT Framework
·
SIMATIC IT Components
SIMATIC IT Framework connects the
process automation system to opera-
tional management, production man-
agement, company management, and
enterprise planning functions.
SIMATIC IT Framework provides a cross-
industry integration and coordination
platform through the use of a hierarchi-
cal graphical modeling tool, an infra-
structure for the exchange of data, and
base services employed by the various
SIMATIC IT components.
dvantages when using SIMATIC IT
SIMATIC IT Framework permits integra-
tion of heterogeneous applications
such as scheduling, material tracking,
plant information management, and
asset management. Processes and
cross-functional communication are
effectively synchronized, coordinated
and optimized by SIMATIC IT Frame-
work, both within and between loca-
tions.
SIMATIC IT Framework is not only able
to integrate SIMATIC IT components,
but also existing third party and legacy
IT products. The SIMATIC PCS 7 process
control system can be incorporated
into the SIMATIC IT Framework using
adapters.
SIMATIC IT components are standard
software products that provide various
industrial and IT functions. These com-
ponents are a direct result of Siemens
involvement in the development of the
ISA S95 standard. Examples of SIMATIC
IT components include scheduling,
asset/maintenance management,
material management, historical
records/KPI management, and compli-
ance management. These and other
SIMATIC IT components perform spe-
cific functionality, while the framework
coordinates and synchronizes this func-
tionality.
Building on the SIMATIC IT Framework
and Components, Siemens has devel-
oped SIMATIC IT Industry Suite libraries,
providing basic units and procedures
which facilitate the rapid implementa-
tion of a fully integrated system. This
means you're not starting from scratch
when you endeavor to integrate pro-
duction; you're building on years of
experience.