At this site technical articles published at the YOKOGAWA technical report are introduced.
Yokogawa’s Approach to IT/OT Convergence
Three AI Challenges to Achieve Plant DX
- Yoshiyuki Yamashita*1
*1 Professor of Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Yokogawa’s Approach to IT/OT Convergence for Successful Digital Transformation
- Akira Kanazawa*1
- Tomohiro Sakita*1
*1 Business Marketing Headquarters, Yokogawa Solution Service Corporation
Although “digital transformation” (DX) has become a buzzword recently, the term is usually used to mean intelligence derived from digital data itself. In the manufacturing industry, however, the value of DX can be gained only when experts in each field fully understand and accept the intelligence and apply it to operations.
In other words, at manufacturing sites, efforts are needed to maximize the effects of DX through integrating and converging information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). Thus, Yokogawa has refined related technology and know-how through many co-creation projects with customers. This special issue of Technical Report introduces Yokogawa’s efforts, elemental technologies and solution examples in the area where IT and OT converge.
Sushi Sensor for Industrial IoT Solution Achieves “Sensemaking”
- Akirou Kitajima*1
- Takayuki Sugizaki*1
*1 CX Business Strategy Department, Information Technology Center, IA Products and Service Business Headquarters
In terms of Yokogawa’s digital transformation (“DX”), digitization that shows how to collect and integrate data, and digitalization that shows how to use data effectively, can help customers accelerate continuous value creation and transform their business operations.
This paper explains the importance of “sensing” (collecting data) and “sensemaking” (adding value to data) at each step of DX and introduces “Sushi Sensor” as a solution for solving customers’ equipment maintenance issues. The paper also outlines benefits to customers through specific examples of using Sushi Sensor. “Sensing” and “sensemaking” using Sushi Sensor can improve not only the efficiency of equipment maintenance but also product quality by integrating equipment data with operating data, thus achieving DX and ultimately transforming the entire plant, within and between plants and the entire company.
Sushi Sensor Series of Temperature and Pressure Sensors for Industrial IoT
- Satoru Ochiai*1
- Noboru Yamaguchi*1
- Mitsuhiro Kamiya*1
- Atsunori Okada*1
*1 CX Business Development Division, Information Technology Center, IA Products & Service Business Headquarters
Yokogawa has newly developed a wireless pressure sensor and wireless temperature sensor as new models in the line-up of “Sushi Sensor” wireless solutions for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to improve the efficiency of equipment maintenance in plants. These sensors use combinations of separate modules, the XS110A wireless communication module, and the XS530 pressure measurement module or XS550 temperature measurement module. This paper introduces the background of adopting separate modules and the technology used in the wireless pressure sensor and the wireless temperature sensor while satisfying intrinsic safety.
Challenge to Smarter Data Intelligence by Co-innovation with Users
- Shunsuke Hayashi*1
- Tomotaka Maki*2
- Youhei Shindou*2
- Yutaka Yokochi*3
*1 Engineering Center I, Technical Solution & Engineering Division, Yokogawa Solution Service Corporation
*2 Consulting Center, Solution Business Division, Yokogawa Solution Service Corporation
*3 Development Center, Corporate Division, Yokogawa Solution Service Corporation
Conventionally, the manufacturing industry of Japan has been continuously striving for efficiency and quality improvements through Kaizen activities, achieving successful results. To overcome the recent labor shortage, rising cost of raw materials, and severe competition in the global marketplace, there is a greater need for improvement and new value creation by leveraging the intelligence of operating data. With the spread of the Internet of Things (IoT) enabling huge amounts of diversified data to be acquired on-site, and advanced, commoditized analysis technology that enables new value to be easily derived from data, it is crucial for the data scientists of vendors to collaborate with users to create new value by co-innovating to maximize the effects of this approach.
This paper describes two cases of co-innovation between Yokogawa and users as a reference for future co-innovating activities. Moreover, with a view to the era of widespread IoT, this paper introduces a co-innovating platform, Industry IoT Data Logging & Dashboard, which integrates IT data with operational technology (OT) data.
Field Work Support in the Digital Transformation Era
- Yutaka Aono*1
- Takehiro Ishikawa*1
- Yuta Ando*2
- Hideharu Nagasawa*1
*1 Consulting Center, Solution Business Division, Yokogawa Solution Service Corporation
*2 Planning and Advanced Solution Division, Premium Solutions & Service Business Headquarters, Digital Enterprise Business Headquarters
When performing inspection and maintenance of important devices and equipment at plant factory sites including in explosion-proof areas, field engineers conventionally work in pairs. This is because it has not been possible while working on-site to obtain advice from experts in control rooms, or to directly refer to process values in DCS systems and manuals necessary for maintenance. However, with the progress in IT technology, operators in control rooms can communicate with on-site engineers while sharing images of display screens via mobile devices taken into the plant factory site, thus enabling the process data and state of equipment to be viewed in real time. This approach is greatly changing the procedures and forms of field work. This paper introduces technologies and solutions for supporting field work, as well as examples of such work.
Integrated Training System for Operation and Maintenance Using VR Plant
- Tsutomu Sasaki*1
- Yuta Naito*2
- Prashant Bhushette*2
- Hirofumi Takahashi*3
*1 Downstream, Chemical Department, MA & Downstream Chemical Sales Center, Global Sales and Industrial Marketing Headquarters
*2 Solution Development Department, Business Planning Division, Digital Enterprise Business Headquarters
*3 Process Solution Division, Yokogawa Saudi Arabia Company
Operation training for plant operators and maintenance training for maintenance technicians are currently executed individually by using separate training systems and scenarios in the case of off-the-job training. However, because the systems are not available online, on-the-job training requires trainees to go to the plant with expert operators and maintenance technicians, or to use another field support system. Yokogawa has developed a training system that can be used for both operation and maintenance training by integrating the existing dynamic process simulation technology with the latest 3D visualization technology. It has also developed a consulting service to build single or cooperative training scenarios for operation and maintenance.
- Takashi Sekido*1
- Shoichi Doi*1
- Katsunori Iijima*1
- Kentaro Hayashi*1
*1 Lifecycle Service Business Division, Business Incubation Department, IA Systems and Service Business Headquarters
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has increasingly been used in business. Various systems are connected to networks, and many devices are connected to these systems via networks. As the IIoT spreads worldwide, not only devices but also communications between plants in Japan and overseas will connect beyond the boundaries of companies. However, although network-based devices connected via IIoT create new business opportunities, networking also brings new threats and challenges due to the connectivity itself.
Yokogawa’s IT infrastructure for the next-generation factory strives to meet the requirements of “safe and secure operation,” “flexible and scalable system,” and “quick information-gathering and correct decision-making” to build the optimal factory for the IIoT environment. This paper describes the key points of next-generation plant network security and Yokogawa’s security measures for control systems based on plant IT network issues, verification of the latest technology, and installation and operation in actual plants.
Case Examples of MIRROR PLANT for Chemical Process
- Toshiaki Omata*1
- Takayasu Ikeda*2
- Gentaro Fukano*3
- Toshio Kujira*2
*1 SW Architecture Planning Department, System Business Center, IA Systems and Service Business Headquarters
*2 Simulation Business Division, Omega Simulation Co., Ltd.
*3 Package Department, Omega Simulation Co., Ltd.
MIRROR PLANT is an online plant simulator that estimates the current state of an actual plant online by using real-time data from the distributed control system (DCS). Dynamic simulation has been used offline such as the Operator Training System (OTS) so far, however, MIRROR PLANT can be used online, enabling the simulator to be used in unconventional ways. MIRROR PLANT is already running in actual chemical plants as a real-time “digital twin” and has contributed to the operational support and improvement of plant operations. This paper describes a case example of MIRROR PLANT used in the main chemical plant of Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
Smarter Device Replacement for Digital Field Devices
- Takamasa Ito*1
- Fuyuki Mizushima*1
- Masayoshi Ishii*2
- Kenji Habaguchi*3
*1 Systems Software D&E Department, Systems Development Center, IA Systems and Service Business Headquarters
*2 Systems Hardware D&E Department, Systems Development Center, IA Systems and Service Business Headquarters
*3 HW Architecture Planning Department, Systems Development Center, IA Systems and Service Business Headquarters
In the field of process control, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has become popular in recent years. Even in field devices, digital technology has brought about advanced functions such as higher accuracy of process values and autonomous reporting of self-diagnosis results. However, these digital field devices require expertise during maintenance, and so replacement in case of device failure needs more time, which may significantly affect plant production. To mitigate this risk, Yokogawa has developed a communication module function that simplifies the manual recovery procedure when replacing devices. This paper describes its technical features and effects.