Yokogawa Releases CENTUM® VP R6.03 Integrated Production Control System

Press Release (ePRNews.com) - May 19, 2016 - Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that it has developed CENTUM VP^® R6.03, a new version of the company’s integrated production control system with enhanced functionality, and will release it on June 1.

In keeping with its VigilantPlant^® vision for the control business, Yokogawa has been continually making improvements to its flagship CENTUM VP integrated production control system. With the functional enhancements provided in R6.03, CENTUM CS, CENTUM CS 1000, and CENTUM CS 3000 systems can be smoothly upgraded to Yokogawa’s latest system offering, CENTUM VP.

Development Background

CENTUM VP provides an optimum operation, monitoring, and engineering environment for every phase of the plant lifecycle, from initial design, engineering, installation of systems and equipment, and startup to full operation and the ongoing performance of renovations and modifications until it is time to withdraw a facility from service.

Over the several decades that a plant will remain in use, upgrades will need to be performed to replace ageing control systems software and hardware, hold down maintenance costs, improve production capacity, and comply with new regulations. To minimize disruptions to production operations, such system upgrades should be quick and trouble-free.

CENTUM VP R6.03 was developed to ensure quick and smooth system upgrades. The features provided in R6.03 will make it possible for users of CENTUM CS (released in 1992), CENTUM CS 1000 (released in 1997), and CENTUM CS 3000 (released in 1998) systems to quickly and smoothly upgrade to CENTUM VP. The following section provides information about key features of this new CENTUM VP version.

Enhancements

With R6.03, the CENTUM VP input/output (IO) device and application programs have been modified to improve compatibility with CENTUM CS, CENTUM CS 1000, and CENTUM CS 3000 hardware and software, thus easing the system upgrade process and reducing associated risks.

(1) Compatibility with existing cabinets, terminal blocks, and field instrument cables

The primary components of a CENTUM system are the human interface stations (HIS) that serve as a monitoring and control interface for operators in a central control room and the field control stations (FCS) that control the actual operation of plant facilities. Each FCS has a controller and numerous IO devices that are connected to valves and the sensors used to measure flow rate, pressure, temperature, and other variables of the production process.

The functions and shape of the CENTUM VP R6.03 IO device have been modified so that it is fully interchangeable with RIO, the IO device used with CENTUM CS, CENTUM CS 1000, and certain CENTUM CS 3000 systems. The modified CENTUM VP R6.03 IO device is thus fully compatible with the FCS cabinets and terminal blocks used with these earlier CENTUM systems. Upgrading to the new CENTUM VP IO is simple: just replace the existing IO module in each FCS cabinet with the new IO module. There is no need to reconfigure the wiring that connects the IO to sensors and valves. Thanks to the modifications made to the CENTUM VP R6.03 IO, users of legacy CENTUM integrated control systems can perform quick and minimum-risk upgrades to CENTUM VP.

(2) Enhanced compatibility with application software developed for earlier CENTUM releases

CENTUM VP R6.03 has been modified to ensure enhanced backward compatibility with the application programs used with CENTUM CS, CENTUM CS 1000, and CENTUM CS 3000. The HIS graphics and control logic programs developed for these earlier CENTUM systems can also be used with CENTUM VP R6.03. This allows for increased efficiency in the use of application programs, facilitates quick and minimum-risk system upgrades, and reduces plant downtime.

Masatoshi Nakahara, a Yokogawa director and executive vice president who heads the Industrial Automation Platform Business Headquarters, comments as follows on this new release:

Yokogawa has continually striven to improve its core CENTUM platform while maintaining backwards compatibility with previous system versions. In the development of CENTUM VP, the following four innovations have been emphasized:

1. Advanced operation

Empowers operators to make smarter decisions

2. Smart engineering

A new engineering ecosystem that delivers certainty and confidence

3. System agility

Flexibility, adaptability, and extensibility for plant upgrade and expansion, changes in plant operations, and business exigencies

4. Sustainable plant

Optimum system performance throughout the entire lifecycle of the plant

In keeping with its VigilantPlant initiative, Yokogawa will continue to develop and bring to market new products and other types of solutions that will help our customers realize the ideal plant.

Major Target Markets

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

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 92 companies spans 59 countries. Founded in 1915, the US$3.7 billion company engages in cutting-edge research and innovation. Yokogawa is active in the industrial automation and control (IA), test and measurement, and aviation 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 www.yokogawa.com.

For more information

Distributed Control Systems: http://www.yokogawa.com/dcs/