Now you can integrate MES & ERP without a fight

Invensys purchased Baan many moons ago and people started talking about pain-free MES to ERP integration. In a way, it has come true now but in a different direction through Wonderware Enterprise Integrator.

A sustainable Spanish "Smart City" with a little help from Wonderware

Download the new success story from Schneider Electric software and find out how the Smart City solution from Wonderware helps Spain's Ecocity Vadespartera Zaragosa.

“By powering the city’s remote monitoring and management system, Wonderware software addresses two key issues for the Valdespartera team: effective and efficient control and management of all municipal networks, as well as accessibility and analyzing of environmental impact of operations in an integrated manner.”

—Noelia Olona, Technical Area Manager, Ecocity Valdespartera Zaragoza

Maintenance Suite

In a way, the idea of a maintenance suite is fully being realized right now with Avantis Enterprise Asset Management, the extension modules and Condition Manager.

For those who haven't got 24 eyes, 32 hands, and 12 legs

During the 1990's, we commissioned a lot of artists to do artwork that we used in our ads. This classic InTrack "screenshot" is one of them.

 
Over time, InTrack has evolved into what became...

Wonderware Manufacturing Operations Management

Enable Operations Excellence with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)o, Workflow, Energy Management, Quality, Batch, Enterprise Integration and Mobile Workforce products from Wonderware. Increase operational efficiencies, quality, compliance and performance. Improve productivity through faster inventory turns, reduced production lead times and swifter new product introductions for faster return on investment and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Model and simulate batch processes before writing code

This is the iconic ad that came out in 1996 to promote Wonderware InBatch. It still rocks to this day my friends.

Wonderware InBatch software effectively manages flexible batch operations found in Process Industries and offers recipe modeling, batch execution automation, material genealogy, stringent security, batch history and web-based reports. InBatch facilitates the design and implementation of systems that are compliant with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 21 CFR Part 11 regulations.

InBatch is a control system independent batch management software developed to rapidly deploy and run revised or new product recipes without control system changes, reducing the time to market and recipe validation efforts in regulated industries. Maximized process equipment utilization and Return on Assets (ROA) is achieved through InBatch’s sophisticated batch control logic, designed for simultaneous multi-product and multi-stream batch execution on shared equipment.

A water solution worthy of Italy's Calabria Region

One of the benefits of the Wonderware solution at So.Ri.Cal. is alert the operators if there are possible problems on any device in the water/wastewater system. The notifications are prompt and conveyed visually so engineers know what to do right away without having to physically visit the site where the device is located.

The timeliness of these interventions is important - now pumps can be turned off promptly when the tanks are full, saving electrical energy and extending the life of the equipment. 

The status of the machinery is automatically collected and stored through Wonderware Historian and incorporated into the regular reports that the plant personnel receive on a regular basis.

 

A Flexible, Open and Scalable Platform 

 

The So. Ri. Cal. team wanted a high performance solution that would be reliable and withstand the demands of remote operation in the Calabria mountains, its forests and countryside. They wanted an open solution software platform that could evolve in the future without limitations. They wanted a solution that is easy-to-use and easy-to-learn.

 

So. Ri. Cal. selects Wonderware

“Wonderware gives us complete freedom for the future. We can focus on optimization and choose the most reliable and high-performance hardware without worrying. We have almost infinite scalability.”

Sergia De Marco, General Director, So.Ri.Cal. De Marco 

More information

 

For more information on this success story, you might want to check out the following links:

1. Wonderware Supervisory Control
2. Wonderware InTouch
3. Wonderware System Platform
4. Wonderware Historian
5. Wonderware Historian Client

Efficient operation at Italy's Calabria Water

For over 30 years, the Società Risorse Idriche Calabresi (So.Ri.Cal.) has supplied drinking water to the people in the Calabria Region of Italy.

The agency is responsible for a far-reaching system that covers approximately 6,000 kilometers and is comprised of 200 aqueduct systems, four dams, 10 derivation crossbars, 14 wastewater plants, 300 lifting stations and almost 1,000 tanks.

In this region, as in most of the world, water conservation is emphasized. But the challenge is compounded by the geography of Calabria and the remote location of much of So.Ri.Cal.’s system. This is the mountainous area that forms the “toe” of Italy, and most of it is covered by high peaks and thick forests. Travel and communication with outlying parts of the system can be difficult.

Remote Control and Automation Requirements

Each year, So.Ri.Cal. sells 270 million cubic meters of water to towns throughout the provinces of Calabria. And while this measurement is accurate, the agency realized that it wasn’t able to determine how much water was being produced by the system overall.

Sergio de Marco, the general director of So.Ri.Cal. recognized the tremendous opportunity to improve efficiency by eliminating waste.

“Since we didn’t have real-time data, it was impossible for us to accurately identify waste. But we knew it was mainly due to leaks in the aqueducts, poor connections and overfilled delivery tanks, as the pumps are controlled and managed manually.”

Sergio De Marco, General Director, So.Ri.Cal.

So. Ri. Cal. decided to use Wonderware.

More information

In the next series of posts, we will be talking about the Wonderware success at Società Risorse Idriche Calabresi (Calabria Water Resources Society, Ltd).

Integrated Upstream Asset Management

Whether the asset is onshore or offshore, conventional or unconventional, oil or gas, considering asset development and utilization holistically can provide many advantages; the largest being economics

A Holistic View of Upstream Asset Development and Optimization

Download our new industry solution on Integrated Upstream Asset Management for more information.

Suite Freaks!

These 7 characters came out around 1997-98 as part of the Wonderware FacorySuite launch: Factory Four-Eyes (InTouch), Control Freak (InControl), Data Junkie (InSQL now Historian), Tracker (InTrack evolved into Manufacturing Operations Management), Batch Witch (InBatch), Scoutie (Scout became Information Server) and Server Dude (IO Servers now known as the Device Integration Servers).

Fast forward to 2014, Wonderware still rocks.

Wonderware Historian successes in Japanese

Here are a few Wonderware Historian successes in Japanese. By the way, it's also available in 9 other languages.

Wonderware Situational Awareness

Better HMI designs provide true “Situational Awareness”, which leads to greater operator effectiveness and fewer shutdowns. Properly designed HMI applications help optimize both the business value and the safety of your system.

Visit the Situational Awareness page and download our free whitepaper to learn how these techniques make it 5 times more likely that an abnormal situation will be recognized than traditional techniques and discover how to get even more business value from your HMI and SCADA systems.

New Belgium Brewing Environment Excellence Success Story

For New Belgium Brewing, based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Environmental Stewardship has been a core value since the company's inception. As winners of the Environment and Safety Excellence award from Schneider Electric, New Belgium stands as a shining example of sustainable manufacturing.



New Belgium Brewing is the third largest craft brewery in the U.S., producing over 18 million gallons of beer annually.

In 1999, New Belgium Brewing became the first U.S. brewery to acquire 100% of its purchased electricity from wind power.

New Belgium Brewing uses Schneider Electric software with the help of Wonderware West to help their environmental and sustainability projects succeed.

Discover Wonderware System Platform

This video was done by Wonderware PacWest. It's a cool piece that shows the features of System Platform. If you have a few minutes, go ahead and watch it. One of the coolest product videos I've seen in a while.

 

Wonderware System Platform

Wonderware software is based on a distinctly unique, powerful and elegant approach to delivering what customers most need in their real-time industrial software systems.

 
Wonderware System Platform surpasses all other platforms in engineering simplicity, operational agility and information empowerment. It helps customers secure their future, protect the operational integrity of their plants, enhance the operational insight of their people and enables them to adapt easily and affordably to change. These are a few of the are many reasons Wonderware software is the world’s favorite and brings value to a number of organizations.

Is your proprietary control system controlling more than your machine?

Break the bonds of proprietary technology with Wonderware software.

F&N Dairies Thailand - a Wonderware MES Success Story

F&N Dairies Thailand, the largest canned milk manufacturer in the world, achieves significant savings in production, logistics and inventory costs with Wonderware MES software.

Operational Excellence at Bermuda Electric

Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited (BELCO) is Bermuda's sole supplier of electricity, operating a generating plant and transmission and distribution systems throughout the Island chain.

Its Mission: to provide a secure, reliable and sustainable electric power system for the people of Bermuda.

As BELCO begins work on its integrated resources plan for the next 20 years, its innovation and can do spirit will enable it to address the Island's development and energy issues, including renewable energy and sustainable development.

With a little help from Schneider Electric.

The Venetian and Palazzo Resort Hotels & Casino

The world's largest hotel and resort, known for award-winning sustainability practices, entrusts Wonderware software to provide a facilities and power management solution for real-time monitoring and maximized efficiency.

The Venetian is the largest green building in the world 

One of the brightest stars on the Strip is The Venetian Resort Hotel family of properties. With The Venetian, The Venezia Tower, the Sands Expo Convention Center and The Palazzo Las Vegas, these properties comprise the largest hotel and resort in the world, covering 67 acres and approximately 14 million square feet of facilities.

And so it comes as no surprise that the complex has one of the most innovative redundant power and Facility Management Systems ever developed. Part of the resort, The Palazzo Las Vegas, has been awarded a Silver LEED® Certificate (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by the U. S. Green Building Council. According to the Council, The Palazzo is not only the largest LEED-certified building in existence, but is over four times bigger than the second-largest recipient of the designation.

A commitment to green and sustainable processes can be seen throughout the resort.

9REN Group - A Smart City Success Story

Renewable energy. It's the mantra for today's society -- to identify and implement clean renewable energy sources to wean us off our dependence on fossil fuels. This is one of the fields where Spain and Italy are taking the initiative to a global level and 9REN Group is a clear example of a company leading the way.

Because of System Platform, 9REN only requires one person to control the operation of all of the 580 plants, regardless of location.

To help operate its plants, 9REN created EOSystem, a solution built on Wonderware System Platform.

9REN is one of the more dynamic companies in Europe -- their facilities, marketing strategy and personnel radiate the vitality and energy of a company that is on the move.

More information

 

Please refer to the following links for more information:

1. 9REN's website
2. Wonderware System Platform
3. InTouch HMI as a SCADA system

Take care,
Jay

Caution: Wonderware InTouch may result in excessive productivity

That's right, it's the same then as it is now: Wonderware creates industrial strength software that's fun to use.

Smart Water at OCWA

Each day, the Ontario Clean Water Agency produces over 700 million liters of drinking water and treats about 1.2 billion liters of wastewater at 502 facilities all across Ontario, with a little help from Schneider Electric.

Best-in-Class Outcomes at Fauji Fertilizer

The results of the SimSci OTS at Fauji are very evident.

1. Within the first year, 22 FFC engineers have become OTS instructors; they have conducted 130 training sessions for nearly100 management and staff operators
2. Plant operators have benefited from best-in class training and are empowered to respond confidently and consistently in real-time
3. With the OTS, training time has decreased from years to months
4. Unscheduled shutdowns are significantly reduced, plant startup and shutdown is more efficient and emergencies have been handled smoothly

Thanks to the new SimSci OTS solution, the FFC operator program is both effective and popular. Even more important, the company is seeing improved and safer plant operations, and living up to the corporate vision.

More information

Please click on the following links for more information on the SimSci OTS.

1. SimSci Operator Training Simulators (OTS) website
2. SimSci SPC 270
3. SimSci Trisim Plus
4. SimSci Dynamic Simulation Suite

Fujirebio Diagnostics, a Wonderware Workflow success story

Located in Malvern, Pennsylvania, Fujirebio has for over 20 years been the trusted source of innovative solutions in clinical diagnostics.

Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc. provides biomarkers to help physicians, laboratory professionals, and patients better manage disease.

With operations and office space at its U.S. headquarters in Malvern, PA, Fujirebio Diagnostics' proven manufacturing process has made it a global partner of choice among leading diagnostic companies. A major milestone was achieved at Fujirebio Diagnostics on July 1, 2013 when the manual paper-based process of periodically recording temperature readings for specific GMP-related equipment was officially replaced by a new computerized system

Asset Excellence at NASCAR Champion, Hendrick Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports implements an Avantis® EAM solution to track inventory and car components, monitor performance reliability, optimize performance and reduce costs.

"Since 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned a record 11 car owner championships in NASCAR’s premier division, the Sprint Cup Series.

The organization fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Sprint Cup circuit with drivers Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr."

A suite way to build better machines!

And sell them faster. Get ready to crank up the volume on your machines by loading them with Wonderware Factory Suite for machine automation. This incomparable, open industrial automation software lets you build a better, cost-effective machine that's not only more productive, but easier to maintain, easier to operate and easier to sell. Above all, it lets you integrate your machinery with the rest of the factory floor.

This ad came out in 1996 and the message still rings true in 2014. Just look at our vibrant Ecosystem Partner community.

Operator Preparedness at Fauji Fertilizer with SimSci OTS

Very specific goals were created by Fauji Fertilizer directed to strengthen its operator skills and enhance productivity. They are as follows:

• To train personnel on the newly-commissioned DCS to reduce operational incidents, increase up-time and equip operators to respond to emergencies 
• To maintain a high level of performance for experienced operators and new hires alike 
• To quickly and effectively prepare new plant operators to work in actual control room and field environments 

Of course they did face a few challenges, such as:

• The Fauji plant offers only infrequent opportunities for on-the-job training for critical and emergency scenarios, so engineers must be trained and tested through simulations 
• The expected retirements and attrition of existing workers will require many new operators to be trained quickly 

As you can see, one of the main challenge of big chemical plants is the capability to maintain the skill of its workforce amidst the other major challenge of an aging workforce.

“Our preparedness level has improved by many folds. Now both newly-trained and experienced operators have gained a lot of confidence. They are well-prepared to handle the plant in normal operation, startups/shut downs and in emergency situations.”

Mubashar M. Butt, Deputy Manager Production, Fauji Fertilizer Company 

It was really time to consider using an OTS.

 

More information

Please click on the following links for more information on the SimSci OTS, .

1. SimSci Operator Training Simulators (OTS) website
2. SimSci SPC 270
3. SimSci Trisim Plus
4. SimSci Dynamic Simulation Suite

Wonderware MES Success Story eBook

From the critical chemical processes at African Explosives, the workflow systems at Fujirebio to the downtime analysis solutions of Pepsi, Coke and New Belgium Brewing, Wonderware provides manufacturing execution solutions for industry.

Download the free eBook now.

Microsoft and Wonderware: We put our heads together...

...and created something suite

I love the artwork and the puns used in our old ads. They remain funny and eye catching to this day as it did when it first came out in 1996. Our relationship with Microsoft then is strong as it is today. We were the first company anyway to come up with a Windows based factory automation software solution.

Our relationship with Microsoft began in 1987 with Wonderware developing the first industrial human-machine interface (HMI) based on the Microsoft Windows platform.

In October 2003, Microsoft selected Wonderware to participate in an exclusive partnership alliance program structured around technology acceleration and joint go-to-market strategy.

The three-year program was a tremendous success, exceeding target expectations by 20% and doubling Microsoft’s pull-through revenue. From the beginning, we've remained dedicated to providing robust, easy-to-use industrial software based on Microsoft technology.

Realistic Operator Training Simulator at Fauji Fertilizer

Since 1982, Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC) has provided premium quality fertilizer products to their commercial customers. As one of the largest manufacturers in the country, the operation produces 551,000 metric tons of urea and 445,500 metric tons of diammonium phosphate (DAP) annually. Production facilities encompass three plants.

An Opportunity for OTS 

In 2011, when it came time to commission a new Foxboro DCS, Fauji decided to add an Operator Training Simulator (OTS), as part of a training program that it hoped would:

• Decrease the risk of major operational incidents 
• Reduce startup and downtime 
• Increase the plant’s on stream factor 
• Improve efficient handling of emergencies 

Fauji chose SimSci OTS as the main software for its simulation and training solution.

More information

 

In my next series of posts, I will be talking about how Fauji was able to utilize the SimSci OTS to create a realistic training solution that benefits its newly hired and experienced plant operators. In the meantime, you can click on the following links for more information.

1. SimSci Operator Training Simulators (OTS) website
2. SimSci SPC 270
3. SimSci Trisim Plus
4. SimSci Dynamic Simulation Suite

Better Decisions Start with a Better Framework

Depend on Wonderware MES solutions to bridge the gap between real-time operations and the enterprise. Decision making fed from your business operations, not from reports that are days old, make for better, faster, more informed results.

A new approach to plant software 

Download our whitepaper that explores one of the most challenging dilemmas in the Food and Beverage and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industries — how to balance the competing demands of flexibility and agility, with the cost and quality improvements inherent in standardization.

Operational Excellence at Campbell's Soup

Campbell's Soup won the Operational Excellence category of the Schneider Electric Software OPEN. Find out why.

Collection of key quality attributes and line processing information and use of SPC to assist operator on when to adjust line. Using Wonderware System Platform, Wonderware Workflow, Wonderware QM interfaced with SAP process orders as well as existing Micro Strategy reporting system.

Has resulted in collection of over 600,000 data points in 3 months.

100,000-plus plants can't be wrong

 

Everyday, 30% of the world's plants rely on Wonderware software to make faster, better plant decisions

Carson City, Nevada - A "Smart City" Success Story

In order to achieve its goals, the people of the Carson City Public Works Department created an infrastructure revolving around the capabilities of its people and the best available smart city technology from Schneider Electric.

Leveraging virtualization, mobile devices and smart phones to increase the efficiency of its operators and management, the smart city solution at Carson City increases situational awareness and allows the public works department to achieve a high level of operational readiness.

User Conference 2014 and OPEN Contest Videos

Relive the Game Changer User Conference through the opening videos as well as the OPEN Contest winners.

Schneider Electric Software User Conference 2014 - Game Changer from Schneider Electric Software on Vimeo.

The Game Changers of Schneider Electric Software from Schneider Electric Software on Vimeo.

The Wonderware Historian is used in over 25,000 industrial sites every day - Here's why

Highly scalable and flexible, Wonderware Historian can be applied to a single process or grown, over time, to a large information management solution serving multiple sites and hundreds of users worldwide. Its multi-tiered architecture allows cost-effective isolation of the control and business networks and broader, safer data access by more users.

Why Wonderware?

Why Wonderware? Because it's easy to use and scalable. It works in any industry, in wherever plant or facility. It's hardware agnostic and perfect for standardization because you use it identically whether you have Rockwell or Siemens or even Schneider Electric :)

How Wonderware helps harness the Yellow River

The objective of the project was to create a large-scale operating system including a central database, real-time information transference and processing, and decision support distributed over 700 kilometers of The Yellow River. It had to effectively regulate water quantity and prevent flow stoppages, particularly during droughts. It was also designed to help Commission staff forecast floods and create proactive flood progressing models.

Yellow River Conservancy Commission from Invensys Videos on Vimeo.

“I believe that with the expansion of this system, we can make the Yellow River more beautiful and younger, and bring more benefit to Chinese people along the Yellow River.”

Liu Xiaoyan Director of the Water Regulation Bureau

The reusable nature of the application objects created during the system’s development will save the plant additional hours and expenses in ongoing system maintenance and expansion. the reusable nature of the application objects created during the system’s development will save the plant additional hours and expenses in ongoing system maintenance and expansion.

“The advanced functionality of the Wonderware System Platform, such as reusable objects, modularized technology and remote deployment … made it possible for us to complete the first phase of this system in 3 months, which includes 43 sluice stations and the other 4 management levels,” said Chenhua.

The historian that's in every major industry

The Wonderware Historian provides broad configuration options including:

1. Single node on-premise installation to a Cloud based multi-tiered configuration
2. High availability and disaster recovery options.

A 2,000,000 tag count historian

Wonderware Historian offers greater scalability and more deployment options than ever before. Regardless of the size of your operation, Historian has the scalability to collect and store all of your vital process data, up to 2,000,000 tags.

You're missing a lot if you don't have a historian

Wonderware Historian can easily be integrated to your HMIs that within a few minutes, you can be collecting data, not throwing information away.

65% of firms using Wonderware Historian have benefited from reduced cost in regulatory compliance

Wonderware Historian is a high-performance process historian, capable of storing huge volumes of data generated from today's industrial facilities. Historian easily retrieves and securely delivers information to desktop or mobile devices, enabling organizations to analyze processes anywhere at any time.

Why Wonderware Historian? Let our customers do the talking

 

If you are not sending your HMI data to an historian, you are missing something. Regardless of your industry, every HMI/Historian application generates valuable data that can help you:

• Solve difficult process problems more quickly
• Illuminate process improvement opportunities
• Make it easier to comply with regulatory requirements

Wonderware Historian can easily be integrated to your HMIs that within a few minutes, you can be collecting data, not throwing information away.

ARC Strategy Report on Real-time Maintenance Execution

Effective asset performance management (APM) requires real-time maintenance execution so maintenance tasks can be planned and performed when needed based on actual operating and asset conditions. This helps avoid critical equipment failures and associated unplanned equipment downtime. This approach involves integrating technologies, people, and processes to provide the right information at the right time.

Download the ARC Strategy Report on Real-time Maintenance Execution and find out how.

Avantis Asset Management Suite

Monitor the health of your assets anytime, anywhere, any device. Avantis Asset Management Suite: the easiest way to troubleshoot bottlenecks. Visit our website and find out how.

 

Untangle your maintenance processes to optimize your asset management strategy

 

Our suite of products and services deliver focused, real-time equipment performance and decision support to simplify access to information to create a strong foundation for maintenance best practices

Tapping the Future at New Belgium Brewing

By evolving and effectively maintaining best practices with Wonderware MES Performance software allows for the expansion this system across multiple areas of New Belgium, as well as at its new plant currently under construction in Asheville, N.C.

“By increasing our operations efficiency, we now can free up time to get back to focusing on our corporate culture,” Herrick said. “When our operations were running so quickly, we had to eliminate some of our popular employee extra-curricular activities, such as our annual volleyball tournament. Today as we gain momentum in production, our people see the benefits and we are now very much in control of production processes.”

New Belgium is now meeting capacity, surpassing production of 200,000 cases a week, and having time left at the end of the day for “fun.” Taking advantage of the full capabilities of its existing resources at the plant enabled the executive management team to delay funding of additional capital investments, reduce overhead, and make commitments to new things.

This includes focusing on building the second New Belgium Brewery in North Carolina. 

 

More information

Please visit the following links if you want to know more about the Wonderware solution at New Belgium Brewing:

1. The Wonderware Food and Beverage page
2. The Wonderware Supervisory and Control page
3. Wonderware InTouch
4. New Belgium Brewing Homepage
5. New Belgium Brewing Sustainability 

Carpenter Technology Corporation, Production Information Management Game Changers

Carpenter Technology Corporation, winner of the Production Information Management Excellence category, Schneider Electric Software OPEN Contest 2014.

Find out why.



Carpenter Technology Corporation, Production Information Management Excellence, Schneider Electric Software OPEN Contest 2014 from Invensys Videos on Vimeo.

Carpenter Tech created a complete MES solution based on Wonderware MES Performance, System Platform, Historian in its Metal Processing Facility.

Key features are its world-class piece genealogy, operations data, data collection, and operations management techniques applied through the use of Wonderware products.

Incrementally but continuously improving operations at New Belgium Brewing

With the scalability provided by the Wonderware MES solution, we are able to continuously improve operations incrementally by deploying various aspects of the solution one step at a time. All of our jobs are changing including how we go about our day-to-day business because of the data now being delivered by the Wonderware MES Performance Software.  

Joe Herrick, Packaging Systems Manager
New Belgium Brewing, Co.

With the new MES solution delivered by Apex, New Belgium Brewing now has the mechanics on each shift 24/7 to support the bottling line. 

"We have lead techs that are addressing issues identified in trends noted by the software," Herrick said, " Access to this real-time information enables our team to work on things ahead of time by performing preventative maintenance, enabling us to get out in front of potential issues.”

More information

Please visit the following links if you want to know more about the Wonderware solution at New Belgium Brewing:

1. The Wonderware Food and Beverage page
2. The Wonderware Supervisory and Control page
3. Wonderware InTouch
4. New Belgium Brewing Homepage
5. New Belgium Brewing Sustainability