How Tesco follows proven strategies to overcome challenges when integrating OEM equipment.
Stephen Goldsworth at Tesco Controls, recently wrote an article for the December 2019 of the Global System Integrator Report, published by Control Engineering magazine. Ranked at number 14 based on total system integration revenue, Tesco is among the largest “System Integrator Giants” for 2020.
The article, Strategies for Integrating OEM Equipment in Water/Wastewater Projects, discusses common issues with integrating OEM technologies into SCADA systems, and ways to merge them into a cohesive whole. Here’s a summary, click on the link above for the full text.
Three OEM System Integration Challenges
Water/wastewater projects commonly incorporate numerous and significant items of packaged equipment supplied by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which must be combined into the larger balance of plant (BOP) operations. Integrating OEM subsystems introduces three categories of challenges for systems integrators (SIs):
Contrasting standards arise due to the use of different programmable logic controller (PLC), operator interface terminal (OIT), and communications technologies, and how these systems are programmed. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems must integrate all these disparate subsystems. Misalignment between cookie-cutter OEM equipment and project standards is common.
New process technologies require integration decisions. Throughout the design process, many different project team members from various disciplines need to work together. Often, the SI is in a uniquely key position to provide this coordination.
Integration Strategies for Success
To meet the challenges stated above, successful SIs follow a combination of strategies:
- Obtain OEM vendor information
- Define what components to integrate
- Determine aligning software standards
- Integrate technologies between OEM equipment and the BOP
Obtaining OEM vendor information may sound straightforward but can be complicated by various technologies involved and the project communication structure. Proactive SIs learn to navigate the project hierarchy to obtain the necessary information.
Working together, the design team can first understand the process variables, interlocks, permissives, alarms, commands, and other functional components.
Ideally, the data to be exchanged between OEMs’ PLCs and other PLCs in the system is well defined within the plans and specs and is accurate. More typically, this information is approximated with little or no consideration of what is available from each OEM PLC.
Processing, indicating, and acknowledging pertinent OEM alarms through the larger BOP SCADA system can be a particular challenge. It is critical to determine what information will be integrated as early as possible in the project so the SCADA system can be properly designed.
Software standards, if they exist at all, are likely to vary for different OEMs and for the overall project. A team workshop environment is often the best forum to work through these details and determine the best alignment. This is also the time to decide how technologies will be integrated with regards to the network architecture, communications protocols, and software.
Looking Ahead
Integration of OEM equipment creates unique challenges for the SI responsible for incorporating these packaged systems into the overall BOP control system. Successful SIs use their experience to obtain the necessary information, coordinate with all contract team members, and apply the right techniques. This allows them to develop an overall product aligned with the intent of the process control system design and meeting the needs of all project stakeholders.
Photos were taken by Alan Horikawa, National Service Manager for Tesco Controls, Inc., and showcase some of TESCO’s projects.
