At the Achema 2012 trade fair Siemens is focusing on the topic of lifecycle management. "We're demonstrating how the process industry can benefit from Siemens products, systems, solutions and services", said Axel Lorenz, Head of Process Automation for the Siemens Industry Automation Division, at a press conference in Karlsruhe, Germany. "Siemens is presenting itself to its process industry customers as a reliable partner for sustainable operations in dynamic times," according to Lorenz. The integrated portfolio of the company, he said, ensured high productivity, flexibility and efficiency throughout the entire plant and production life cycle. This could help to improve plant performance and energy efficiency and reduce the time to market. The Siemens approach to the integrated engineering of process and automation technology was groundbreaking and significantly reduced development and throughput times.
Cost pressure, global competition, a constantly and rapidly changing technological backdrop, as well as increasing environmental demands are the challenges facing companies in the process industry today. "Siemens has the right answers to these challenges. We work closely and reliably with the world's leading chemical and pharmaceutical companies, so that they can gain maximum performance from their plants", said Lorenz. This was also underlined by the motto used on this year's booth at Achema: "Guiding you through change – Your trusted partner for lifecycle innovation".
At the trade fair, Siemens is showcasing its extensive range of process instrumentation and analytical systems, drive technology, process control, manufacturing execution systems and plant engineering for the entire product and plant lifecycle – from research and development, through process analysis and design, plant engineering and production, to maintenance, optimization and modernization.
At the press conference, Hans-Georg Kumpfmüller, CEO of the Siemens Sensors and Communication Business Unit, stressed the considerable importance of reliable process instrumentation and analytics, as well as the growing requirements of users for suppliers who offer a complete product portfolio for all measurement variables: "Siemens is a complete systems supplier in the field of process instrumentation and analytics. Our portfolio covers all measurement variables such as pressure, level, temperature, positioning controllers, wireless solutions, weighing systems and flow measurement. We are a leading supplier in process analytics with our gas chromatographs and our gas analyzers". According to Kumpfmüller, there will be a series of important new products at Achema for the chemical and hygiene segment of the food and beverage industry and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as a wealth of additional applications. These ranged from groundbreaking innovations in level and flow measurement technology to new gas analyzers.
Andreas Geiss, Head of Comos Industry Solutions within the Siemens Industry Automation Division, underlined the growing influence of software on the various segments of the process industry: "Plant engineering is rapidly converging with significant gains in efficiency for the users." For plant management from plant engineering to production, Siemens is presenting Comos 10 at Achema – a new version of the software with a significantly extended scope of functions, enabling even the largest volumes of data to be managed. The integration of process engineering and automation has also been taken a stage further. A new interface ensures a consistent, bidirectional exchange of information between Comos and the Simatic PCS 7 process control system.
For research and development, Siemens is presenting a clean-room solution with access control, fire protection and evacuation, as well as special solutions for laboratories such as pure and ultrapure water and automation of typical laboratory applications.
In the area of process analysis and design Siemens is highlighting the potential of continuous production in the pharmaceutical industry. Companies can expect cost savings of up to twenty percent compared with batch production. There are innovations in the Sipat process analytical technology (PAT) software. These can easily be integrated into process control solutions by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the new Version 4.
The main focus in production and maintenance is Version 8 of the Simatic PCS 7 process control system with a host of new functions. The new features range from improved data exchange and a simpler engineering workflow, more powerful communication, redundancy-related and high-availability functions, to new controllers and extended software tools.
The Siemens portfolio for the chemical industry is characterized by high-performance, plant availability and process reliability, exemplified by redundancy and failsafe fieldbus communication, as well as control and maintenance concepts. Furthermore, the company is presenting simple recipe sequence controllers with the Simatic PCS 7 APF (advanced process function) add-on for flexible hybrid processes.
In the pharmaceutical sector, Siemens is presenting a modular and flexible solution based on Simatic PCS 7 for fermenters according to the ISA-S88 standard. The TIA Portal engineering framework is used consistently in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, from the definition and planning of recipes to the control of production and filling lines. The presentation for the pharmaceutical industry is supplemented by a serialization solution which enables companies in the industry to comply with future legislation and bring greater transparency to their supply chain.
Two topics determine drive technology: firstly, energy-efficient drive solutions for pumps, fans and compressors and, secondly, Loher motors and drives for hazardous areas and extreme ambient conditions. The Siemens portfolio in production and maintenance is completed by remote services, in which the company demonstrates the options and benefits of remote-controlled automation systems.
In optimization and modernization, Siemens is highlighting its engineering, consulting and service expertise and pointing out new ways to increase efficiency: for example, by optimizing resources, by simulation or modern plant control centers. Based on the main automation vendor (MAV) concepts, as well as the Simatic PCS 7 lifecycle service agreements, the company is presenting further solutions for increased plant availability, security of investment and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) throughout the entire lifecycle.
The Siemens booth at the Achema trade fair is rounded off by an extensive range of services for both the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. These extend from technical support, maintenance and lifecycle service agreements to professional consultation on industrial safety or energy management.