COSWIN: Control & monitoring integration

COSWIN standard two-way integration toolkit with automation and supervision systems (SCADA/ISCS) brings unique benefits to owners/operators of automated facilities.

Unlike traditional interfaces, which feature a transfer of data to trigger work orders in the CMMS (often without practical application other than replacing the phone), COSWIN integration toolkit ensure a tight integration between the two subsystems, bringing value-added to both automation and maintenance users.

Siveco Group draws on over 20 years of experience integrating with automation and monitoring systems – a concept that only became popular among CMMS suppliers in the 2000s and still today is considered “advanced” by vendors and clients alike. We have been doing it for 20 years! As part of its innovation program, Siveco Group has worked with leading European universities and government-sponsored research programs (such as the European PROTEUS program), working on interoperability issues with other European vendors such as Alstom, Siemens or ABB, as well as major infrastructures operator-owners from both the private and public sector.

With the COSWIN monitoring integration toolkit, both systems HMI can be integrated, meaning that operators can view CMMS data and access its functionalities from the SCADA HMI, while maintenance users can call up screens from the monitoring system (assuming permission is granted to them). This seemingly simple feature provides unheard-of support for work productivity improvement, fault diagnosis, safety management and decision-making.

Alarms, measurements and meters are automatically transferred to the CMMS after processing or for further processing in COSWIN. Unlike traditional CMMS that can only receive data, but are not able to treat them apart from automatically launching a work order, COSWIN is able to forecast the next maintenance date, based on historical records and to already plan the work order. When the data finally reach the defined threshold, the already-planned work order is simply released. Again most CMMS can of course handle the data transfer, but not the implications in terms of forecasting/planning/scheduling.

While it is always possible to interface different systems, through specific software development work, we believe that using standard off-the-shelf components increases the reliability of the data transfer and considerably reduce Total Cost of Ownership (maintenance, upgrades, and modifications). It is especially critical that new tags can easily be added, equipment structures synchronized, etc.

Among issues that are almost always overlooked when interfacing subsystems, we could mention access control (combined password for both MMS and SCADA / ISCS), the sharing of basic data (equipment, measurement points, etc) and synchronization of databases (structures) – what happens when a tag is modified in the SCADA / ISCS. Finally the security of the automation system must be taken into account, i.e. the CMMS should never disrupt operations: COSWIN standard integration tools ensure a fail-safe design.

Through direct partnerships with leading vendors, Siveco has developed standard packages that feature advanced out-of-the-box integration. Such vendors include:

ABB – integration with DCS/SCADA of the 800xA series, with a focus on process industry and utilities. References include power plants and process plants (pulp & paper, steel mills) all over the world. ABB (www.abb.com), the world famous engineering firm, is a major player in the Chinese automation market with over 15,000 employees in China.

PCVue – integration with the PCVue SCADA system, with a focus on facilities and infrastructures. Major references include Renault, Singapore MRT, the European Space Center, etc. PCVue (www.pcvue.com.cn) is at the forefront of SCADA/HMI software development in Europe, providing innovative solutions for the supervision and control of industrial processes, services and facilities. PCVue has grown its market share in China through partnership with leading integrators such as Tsinghua Tongfang and Hite.

01-db Metravib AREVA – integration with the Oneprod Condition Monitoring System (www.oneprod-system.com), with a focus on process plants. A subsidiary of engineering giant AREVA, providing technological solutions for nuclear energy production and electricity transmission and distribution in over 40 countries, 01-db Metravib is a world leader in the field of condition monitoring, with a strong presence in China.

Whatever the status of your Coswin project, an interface with SCADA can always be added. The HMI integration does not require anything more: check your Coswin documentation for more information on how to set it up. Data transfer requires additional interface modules, that can simply be added to your current installation after purchase of the license. No development is required, just configuration of off-the-shelf software. Contact us for more information.

Tags： integration、01dB-Metravib、ABB、DCS、HMI、PcVue、SCADA