Yokogawa Releases CENTUM VP R6.08 Integrated Production Control System

Tokyo, Japan - January 20, 2021

Yokogawa Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6841) announces that it will be releasing CENTUM™ VP R6.08, an enhanced version of the CENTUM VP integrated production control system for industrial plants, on January 22. CENTUM VP is a core product in the OpreX™ Control and Safety System solutions family.

This release delivers enhancements that drastically reduce the amount of work needed to upgrade a control system's CPU module, including a newly developed utility kit and standards certification for individual CPU modules. It also enhances a function that is able to upgrade a CENTUM VP system without interrupting the process control. Providing a smooth upgrade process will help customers achieve long-term stability in their plant operations and enable the efficient utilization of assets.

CENTUM VP R6.08 Integrated Production Control System

Development Background

Availability and efficiency are always primary concerns in plant operations. To stay competitive, companies with plants that have been in operation for 10 to 20 years or even longer frequently need to install new equipment that makes use of the latest technologies.

Ever since it introduced the first version of CENTUM VP (R6.01) in 2014, Yokogawa has continued to make enhancements to this platform that will ensure its customers are able to enjoy long-term stability in their system operations. This latest version of CENTUM VP meets our customers' needs for faster equipment upgrades and high availability.

Development of this new CENTUM VP version is also in keeping with Yokogawa's three sustainability goals for the year 2050, one of which calls for the achievement of a circular (recycling-based) economy. Toward this end, we are working to help our customers use their existing facilities for longer.

Enhancements

1. CPU module upgrade without need to replace cabinet
   When upgrading a CENTUM VP controller's CPU module, it has also often been necessary to replace the cabinet that houses these components. Replacing and rewiring these cabinets, which are around two meters tall and weigh more than 200 kilograms, is a very time-consuming process.
   
   Yokogawa has developed a utility kit that eliminates the need to replace the cabinet when upgrading the CPU module. This kit includes environmental sensors and cooling fans. By eliminating the need in many cases for the complete replacement of the cabinet, this reduces workload, prevents waste, and lowers the barriers to the introduction of new technology. In so doing, Yokogawa is helping its customers achieve long-term stability in their plant operations.
2. Enhanced online upgrade function for batch processing operations
   From time to time, it is necessary to upgrade the system software of a control system's CPU modules with new functionality to improve both operability and the engineering environment. In the past, such upgrades required the production process to be shut down for several days.
   
   CENTUM VP R6.05, which was released in 2017, included an online upgrade function that eliminated the need to halt a plant to perform such upgrades, and gradual improvements have been made to enable a wider range of applications. With version R6.08, this online upgrade function has been enhanced with the addition of support for SEBOL, the principal programming language for batch processing sequence control.
3. CPU module replacement without invalidating certification to local standards
   Until now, certification for compliance with local explosion-proof and safety standards has needed to be done for the field control unit as a whole. This means that certification for the entire unit, which in addition to the CPU module includes a power module and terminal block, would be invalidated when just the CPU module was upgraded.
   
   With R6.08, certification to these standards has been obtained for the CPU module and for each of the other components, so replacement of just the CPU module will no longer invalidate certification for the entire field control unit. Enabling the replacement of individual components reduces costs over the long term, and also lessens the need for the addition or removal of wiring. This increases operational efficiency and also reduces the attendant risks of any wiring errors. And as with the above-mentioned enhancement that eliminates the need for discarding entire cabinets, this feature reduces waste by eliminating the need to replace the entire field control unit just to upgrade the CPU module.

Major Target Markets

Oil refining, petrochemicals, chemicals, electric power, pulp and paper, gas, pharmaceuticals, food, iron and steel, water supply and wastewater treatment, non-ferrous metals, metal, cement, etc.

Applications

Plant operational monitoring and automatic control

About the CENTUM series

Yokogawa released its CENTUM distributed control system (DCS) in 1975, a world first. CENTUM VP is the ninth generation in the CENTUM series. Known for their rugged performance, CENTUM systems set high standards for engineering and technology excellence while ensuring backwards compatibility with previous system versions and support of the latest technology applications. Knowledge-driven engineering lies at the heart of CENTUM, a Yokogawa flagship product that has been proudly serving the process industry over the past 40+ years.

About OpreX

OpreX is the comprehensive brand for Yokogawa's industrial automation (IA) and control business. The OpreX name stands for excellence in the technologies and solutions that Yokogawa cultivates through the co-creation of value with its customers, and encompasses the entire range of Yokogawa's IA products, services, and solutions. This brand comprises the following five categories: OpreX Transformation, OpreX Control, OpreX Measurement, OpreX Execution, and OpreX Lifecycle. One of the product groups that make up the OpreX Control category is the OpreX Control and Safety System family, which includes the CENTUM VP DCS. With its various OpreX Control solutions, Yokogawa is able to quickly effect changes for its customers that lead to a transformation in such areas as management and operations, and provides highly reliable control technology that ensures high efficiency, high quality, and safe and stable plant operations.
With the OpreX brand, Yokogawa will deliver integrated solutions that address specific needs and support its customers in their efforts to transform and grow their businesses.

 

About Yokogawa

Founded in 1915, Yokogawa engages in broad-ranging activities in the areas of measurement, control, and information. The industrial automation business provides vital products, services, and solutions to a diverse range of process industries including oil, chemicals, natural gas, power, iron and steel, and pulp and paper. With the life innovation business, the company aims to radically improve productivity across the pharmaceutical and food industry value chains. The test & measurement, aviation, and other businesses continue to provide essential instruments and equipment with industry-leading precision and reliability. Yokogawa co-innovates with its customers through a global network of 114 companies spanning 62 countries, generating US$3.7 billion in sales in FY2019. For more information, please visit www.yokogawa.com.

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