In addition to complete hardware design, AUCOTEC's system platform Engineering Base (EB) also enables plant engineers to define the software modules required for each measurement (and actuator) tag. For ABB's business unit "Industry Solutions - Mining and Minerals Processing", this was a key reason in selecting EB for planning electrical engineering installations. The mining experts save an enormous amount of time in creating the control system software with the unique link to ABB's process control system 800xA.
ABB is a global leader with its solutions for the commodity mining and processing industry. The portfolio includes the complete plant electrification, process control engineering, drive, instrumentation and analysis systems. The ABB concept excels with its coverage of the entire value chain from mine to market-driven product - for a project of any size.
"More consistency, more quality"
The device engineering is initially defined with EB based on the already defined measurement tags and loads. Using the infrastructure of the plant developed in parallel, the cabling as well as the signal flow are designed up to the control system via an integrated process. "All functions and devices for Electrical, Instrumentation and Control Engineering (ECIS) can be centrally managed and configured in EB with the complete link between EB and the ABB System 800xA engineering tools. EB and System 800xA complement each other ideally and allow much more efficient project management with far greater consistency and thus higher quality of the data", explains Martin Knabenhans, Product Manager System 800xA for Mining and Cement Applications.
"That doesn't work with every ECAE tool; only the particularly open structures and application interfaces of EB and System 800xA make this close link possible", adds Knabenhans. "As a result, we were able to develop the direct export of DCS-relevant functions and devices from EB to System 800xA."
"System boundaries disappear"
"The link is also ideal for plant maintenance! With a simple click, the electrical diagram for the respective function in EB can be opened from System 800xA, and all electrical information is available there. Mine operators can navigate between the two systems at any time, system boundaries disappear", emphasises the ABB Product Manager. The ABB business unit "Industry Solutions - Mining and Minerals Processing" is gradually introducing this solution into all local units. The engineering teams in Switzerland, Germany, Kazakhstan, Korea and Australia are already working with it. Projects in Canada, Brazil, Chile and South Africa are still to follow in 2013.
