The Most Appropriate Solution
It is important to understand the clients system requirements in both the short term and the long term before deciding what the control or monitoring system would best consist of.
The decision to use a collection of integrateable discrete controllers, rack mounted multi-loop strategy engines or programmable logic controllers (PLCs) may depend on the ultimate goal and not the immediate requirement.
SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) systems are common place in system solutions and there are several excellent products to choose from. However, not all systems require a SCADA and there are some very sophisticated, but relatively low cost Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) available today.
The important point is to consider "future proofing" the design.
It is also worth underlining at this point that we are not distributors for a particular company and therefore do not automatically promote one product, or series of products, over another. Our proposals will be based on no other reason than what is, in our considered judgment, the most appropriate solution.
Upgrade or Replace?
When an existing system is shown to be no longer providing the control required (this may be down to the requirements changing as a process evolves over time) or there is concern that all or part of a system is getting old and may not be supportable in the near future, a review is required to determine whether the system needs replacing. However, it can often be show that specific upgrades to that system may provide the best technical and financial solution. An upgrade of a device or software package can build on the established development and provide valuable continuity for the users and maintenance staff and can often be achieved in a shorter time and for less cost than a replacement.
Future Proofing
When the system is designed, consideration should be given to future requirements and allowances should be made in the design to ensure that the system can be easily further developed over time.
Key points to consider are; spare capacity (inputs, outputs, memory, comms ports, etc.), connectivity and integration.
We have provided products for recent projects from the following manufacturers;
