Yokogawa Releases CENTUM VP R6.01 Integrated Production Control System

Tokyo, Japan - November 14, 2014

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces the development of CENTUM^® VP R6.01, an enhanced version of the company's flagship integrated production control system, and its release in February 2015. R6.01 marks the first step in the development of an all-new CENTUM VP that will play a central role in Yokogawa's VigilantPlant^® strategy for the IA business.

CENTUM VP

Development Background

Manufacturers today need a high degree of certainty and confidence to achieve timely production, and flexibility to make changes in product and material specifications. This enables them to effectively respond to intense global competition and major market shifts.

The adaptive evolution of the new CENTUM VP focuses on addressing customers' needs to keep up with the fast pace of change in the business landscape and technology while delivering maximum return on assets and the lowest total cost of ownership. This first R6-level release of the CENTUM VP system represents much more than conventional functional improvements. R6 brings together smart engineering, advanced operation, system agility, and sustainable plant. With R6, plant operators can be assured of an optimum engineering environment that spans the entire plant lifecycle, from plant design and the engineering and installation of systems and devices to the start-up of production, maintenance, and renovation. In addition, it is designed to meet the most stringent industry requirements for safe and reliable plant operations and environmental protection.

R6.01 features an exciting expansion of Yokogawa's lineup of I/O devices and introduces crucial new control system components. Combined with an intuitive engineering environment, it dramatically reduces the time required to configure and install a control system.

Outline of New Features

1. N-IO (Network-IO): A field I/O device with a versatile I/O module that can handle multiple types of I/O signals
   
   Control systems rely on field I/O devices for the transfer of data to and from sensors, valves, and other types of field instruments. Using this data, they automatically control a plant's operations. Depending on instrument models, the type of electric signal used to transfer this data varies. With Yokogawa's current FIO device, a compatible I/O module is needed for each signal type.
   
   The N-IO, a new CENTUM VP field I/O device, fulfills the functions of universal I/O and a signal conditioner, enabling configurable software and flexible I/O assignment. It has an I/O module that accommodates multiple I/O signal types, accepts up to 16 I/O points, and allows specification of an individual signal type for each point. Both analog and digital I/O signals, which account for the majority of I/O signal traffic, can be handled solely through software settings. Pulse and relay I/O signals can be managed by using additional adaptors. With the N-IO, it is no longer necessary to replace the I/O module, reducing the amount of rewiring that must be done when changing sensor types and/or layouts during a plant revamp. This significantly reduces the amount of work that has to be performed by plant engineers and maintenance personnel.
   
   In addition, Yokogawa has signed OEM agreements with Pepperl+Fuchs GmbH^*1 and MTL Instruments Group Limited^*2, under which Yokogawa will receive baseplates and market them as its own products. These will be used in combination with the company's N-IO modules and intrinsic safety (IS) isolators procured from the two companies. Both partners have solid track records in the development of interface products for use in hazardous areas. This tie-up means Yokogawa is able to ensure that the N-IO conforms to the major IS regulations in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
    

   
   N-IO I/O Unit

2. FieldMate™ Validator: A software tool that is used with N-IO devices to check field device wiring and verify that the device operates correctly
   
   Upon installation of a field instrument and completion of all wiring, the wiring must be checked. Until now, such verification could only be conducted using the CENTUM operation/monitoring screen, which required engineers to wait for all field I/O devices to be installed and the entire CENTUM system, including all operation/monitoring stations and system controllers, to be set up.
   
   The new CENTUM VP R6.01 features the FieldMate Validator N-IO loop commissioning software, a software tool that is used to verify the wiring and relevant operations for any newly installed field instrument or field I/O device. FieldMate Validator is provided with FieldMate, Yokogawa's field device management PC software. When FieldMate establishes a connection with an N-IO device, the FieldMate Validator tool can check in real time the wiring of all field instruments, based on the control loop I/O information in the control system's application software, to verify that they operate correctly. There is no more need for the whole CENTUM system to be installed to do this, thus saving significant time and providing added versatility in project execution.
3. Automation Design Suite (AD Suite): A first-of-its-kind integrated engineering environment that goes beyond traditional DCS engineering functionality
   
   Leveraging its engineering expertise and the experience gained through the execution of myriad projects, Yokogawa has developed the AD Suite integrated engineering environment.
   
   AD Suite is an integrated platform that ingenuously facilitates project execution, system integration, and site execution, bringing certainty and confidence through all project phases and the start-up, operation, maintenance, expansion/upgrade, and extension stages of the plant lifecycle.
   
   With advanced program templates for heat exchangers, filters, and other types of equipment commonly used in the field, AD Suite improves engineering efficiency and helps to ensure uniform quality. It is able to centrally manage the functional design documents that provide the basis for control system engineering, along with all the control program master data stored in the CENTUM database. This simplifies history management when programs are modified and makes certain that the latest design information is available when system expansion, modification, or maintenance is performed.
   
   In essence, AD Suite generates a total engineering environment, with an entirely new database structure that feeds standardized and consistent engineering information, maintains engineering data integrity, eliminates inconsistencies between the design information and the actual system, manages change, and supports the automation lifecycle. At the same time, it facilitates the reuse of valuable engineering knowhow, eliminating the duplication of work for subsequent projects. This both saves time and reduces cost.

Major Target Markets

Manufacturing companies in process industries such as oil and natural gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, electric power, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, foods, iron and steel, and water and wastewater

Applications

Operation, monitoring, and automatic control of plants

Ongoing Development

Since the release of the CENTUM integrated production control system in 1975, Yokogawa has continually strived to improve this platform by incorporating the latest technologies. In 2008, Yokogawa released CENTUM VP, the latest generation of this series. To date, more than 25,000 CENTUM series systems have been delivered around the world.

For the development of the all-new version of CENTUM VP, four different types of innovation are emphasized: Hyper-intuitive operation, total automation management, intelligent plant conductor, and sustainable plant. This aims to provide customers an optimum operating environment that will improve the safety, reliability, and efficiency of their operations, and bring greater synergy between control systems and devices in the field. This will significantly improve production efficiency and optimize overall maintenance of their production control systems, safety instrumented systems, programmable controllers, and all field devices, resulting in reduced costs, long-term stability of operations, and optimum plant performance.

*1 A German developer and manufacturer of industrial sensors, process interface solutions, and explosion protection equipment

*2 A UK-based company that, as part of the Eaton Corporation's Crouse-Hinds business, manufactures and develops system infrastructure products and explosion protection equipment for harsh and hazardous areas within the process industries

About VigilantPlant

VigilantPlant is Yokogawa's automation concept for safe, reliable, and profitable plant operations. It aims to enable an ongoing state of operational excellence where plant personnel are watchful and attentive, well-informed, and ready to take actions that optimize plant and business performance. Based on this concept, Yokogawa introduces a variety of solutions through its Safety Excellence, Asset Excellence, Production Excellence, and Lifecycle Excellence initiatives.

 

About Yokogawa

Yokogawa's global network of 86 companies spans 56 countries. Founded in 1915, the US$4 billion company conducts cutting-edge research and innovation. Yokogawa is engaged in the industrial automation and control (IA), test and measurement, and other businesses segments. The IA segment plays a vital role in a wide range of industries including oil, chemicals, natural gas, power, iron and steel, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, and food. For more information about Yokogawa, please visit the company's website www.yokogawa.com.

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