Water is more valuable than ever because of an increase in global population and climate change. As a result, the environmental regulations and the water treatment standards have become stricter. Increasing energy efficiency, minimizing resource consumption and running an uninterrupted operation are just a few of the challenges faced by the water utilities.
Today, these challenges are increasingly managed with process automation solutions which aim to connect and create digital water treatment and distribution systems.
Multi-Protocol Process Control with dataFLOW Gateways
Your benefits:
A prerequisite for a successful implementation is the access to a system wide exchange of field device data. The dataFLOW gateways from Softing do just that.
By seamlessly integrating field devices from PROFIBUS segments into Ethernet-based control systems, the dataFLOW gateways enable data access, plant asset management, and analysis applications that monitor and regulate water parameters such as its flow, pressure, temperature and its microbiological composition.
Connecting Ethernet-based control systems with PROFIBUS segments
- Keeping the plant operational for service and efficiency
- Ensuring all compliance-related systems and instrumentation are working properly. Compliance with the legal requirements
In order for plant operators to use the potential for process optimization and cost savings, all installed field devices must be configured and implemented properly. Given the different field protocols in water and waste water facilities, such commissioning and parameteriza- tion tasks often require individual interfaces for each protocol. This is costly and time-consuming.
The mobiLink provides one interface. As a mobile commissioning tool for HART, Foundation Fieldbus and PROFIBUS PA devices it makes access to field devices easy. Its multi-protocol capability is a feature that has become a significant time saver.
Compatible with the major engineering tools it is suitable for commissioning, pre-configuration, diagnostics and monitoring.
The mobiLink also comes in handy when something goes wrong, as would be the case when a device fails to function, and a replacement is called for. The process-critical systems of the water industry require a fast problem resolution in order to avoid safety and environmental repercussions.
Maintenance staff in the water industry value the mobiLink as it provides an easy and mobile access to field devices, including those in harsh environments. It communicates with USB or Bluetooth with handheld host devices such as tablets or smartphones and thereby displays device specific information. Hence, once the malfunctioning device is identified, it can be replaced, configured and parameterized – all done with the mobiLink in a time efficient manner.