The first step in designing a database is to examine the application
that you want to automate. Next, assign specific processing, maintenance,
and monitoring tasks. For example, the Enviro company identified the following
tasks, the specific iFIX features they would use to accomplish them, and
the economic benefits.
The key elements of this application also apply to processes in other
industries, such as chemical processing, food processing, and even discrete
parts manufacturing.
Automating
the Sample Process with iFIX
|
Production Tasks:
|
iFIX Application:
|
Economic Benefits:
|
- Schedule production
with sales orders.
- Process sludge
into fertilizer.
- Produce different
grades of fertilizer on demand.
- Monitor chemical
usage and maintain inventory.
- Maintain equipment.
- Maintain fertilizer
count.
- Archive processing
data.
|
Schedule recipes for batch processing.
- Perform supervisory
control, direct digital control, and alarming.
- Download
a recipe for each grade of fertilizer.
- Trend chemical
levels and print chemical usage reports.
- Trend pump/value
usage and print maintenance reports.
- Historically
trend the process.
- Calculate
the total product weight according to batch and perform statistical quality
control.
|
Increase production through scheduling.
- Produce a higher
quality product.
- Increase plant
availability by scheduling preventative maintenance.
- Lower operating
costs by making better use of materials and lowering labor cost.
- Increase responsiveness
to market conditions by varying product size, compound, color, and water
content.
- Increase profit.
|
See Also
