Beijing Dart Streamlines Operations with Centralized Monitoring for Chinese Tobacco Manufacturers

Centralized Monitoring in Tobacco Production

With recent innovations in automation and IT, the combination of industrial automation and management information is an important trend in industrial control systems. In the tobacco industry, the centralized monitoring system is an indispensable part of the overall centralized control system framework.

After a comprehensive analysis of several HMI/SCADA software platforms, Beijing Dart Company chose GE Digital’s powerful Proficy software suite to realize the functions of the centralized monitoring system of cigarette factory production lines.

Based on successful project implementations in Shanghai, Chengdu, Mianyang, Wuhu, Longyan and other provinces and cities in recent years, Beijing Dart has exceptional experience with the design principles of integration, scalability and versatility of this entire centralized monitoring system.

There are several aspects to the advantages of the centralized monitoring system designed with GE Digital’s Proficy software for tobacco production – featuring iFIX HMI/SCADA, Proficy Historian for industrial data management, and Proficy Webspace for browser and mobile access.

Proven and complete multi-interface graphical system architecture

The iFIX configuration platform provides an effective, comprehensive solution for the construction of the centralized monitoring system for the tobacco production line as well as the real-time monitoring and control of the production process.

Using the Proficy platform that comes with multiple communication protocols including OPC, the system collects the production data of the PLC in each process section at the device layer.

At the same time, through the upper-level information management network, the system uses  cross-platform interface protocols to obtain data such as recipes, process standards, production plans and scheduling tasks from the production management system. The solution uses the control network to issue production instructions, control parameters and other information to the equipment control system PLC to realize information production.

The centralized control system collects production process data and records it in the database for use by the production management system.

The centralized monitoring system is an important part of control intelligence. Operators can realize rapid production operation and improve intelligence through simple menu and graphic operations. 

Web publishing, application of intelligent platform visualization solutions

Browser/server (B/S) is a network structure mode that is widely used. A Web browser is the most important application software of the client. This mode unifies the client, concentrates the core part of the system's function realization on the server, and simplifies the development, maintenance and use of the system.

The Proficy software solution utilizes information publishing under the B/S architecture. The user installs the latest Proficy Webspace network publishing software on the server side, and the client can use the Web browser. The Webspace server and the iFIX server conducts data interaction, and the browser provides the monitoring screen. At the same time, the intelligent platform visualization solution, Proficy Webspace, provides the following, easy-to-use functions:

• Real-time data – update the client directly so that users can respond in real time.
• Multi-session interface – supports multi-tab browser
• Secure-by-design container – compatible with third-party control technology applicable to Microsoft, AB, Siemens
• Electronic signatures – electronic signatures enhance network security and audit trails
• Animation – supports IFIX monitoring animation and script display
• Controls – All controls can be operated and set up secure by design as in the client environment
• Alarms and warnings – view, activate and acknowledge alarms like a thick client
• Third-party applications – third-party applications can be effectively triggered in the Web page

Advanced HMI/SCADA

Network management generally refers to the monitoring, analysis and control of various devices in the network system, so as to ensure the reliable and effective operation of the entire network system. Previously, in the field of automation control in the entire tobacco industry, network diagnosis was often limited to the upper computer directly obtaining the power-on and fault information of the IO sub-station equipment of the process section from the PLC, but it could not provide more intuitive and effective information for important network "bridge" switches and routers. The diagnostic information and detailed view of the system lacked good management and maintenance functions, and the recovery speed was slow when a failure would occur.

Using iFIX and the OPC protocol in the centralized monitoring system and through the establishment of a web management service, tobacco companies can realize the collection, analysis and diagnosis of the status of network switches and routers.

The communication protocol based on network hardware is used for web management. The centralized monitoring system can directly connect to the physical switch to obtain diagnosis and maintenance information. The PLC control system can perform centralized diagnosis of the status of the subnet switch in the hardware device and feed it back to the central control system, which can greatly shorten the development cycle. When a network failure occurs, it can be located, maintained, and restored directly from the monitoring system, improving the stability of the network system and the ability for early warning of failures.

Effective integration with on-site video monitoring system of tobacco production line

The centralized monitoring system built through the iFIX configuration platform can provide a data interface integrated with the on-site industrial video system, and integrate and display information via the industrial video system.

• In the real-time monitoring system of the production line process of the centralized monitoring system, the dynamic monitoring screen of the third-party on-site industrial video system is embedded to realize the integration of digital monitoring and image monitoring.

• When the centralized monitoring system detects important equipment failures, critical process area failures or other important events, the video switch button at the corresponding position in the monitoring process screen will appear accordingly. By clicking this button, the scene can be displayed in the monitoring system. The video screen of the probe switches to the fault point area.

Powerful historical data collection and storage function

The application of Proficy Historian for a plant-wide historical database can help operators, production supervisors, maintenance personnel, support personnel and business personnel manage and improve the performance of factories, workshops or production equipment.

The Proficy Historian solution is easier to implement and manage than the traditional historical database. Installation, configuration, and management of historical data collection with Proficy Historian requires very little work.

The automated configuration process can help identify and connect the underlying control system, and quickly configure and start data collection. By using the native interface, it provides a convenient connection with other systems, allowing the daily management of each distributed Historian subsystem to be completed in the central control room.

Using Proficy Historian’s database and screen platform editing software, the solution can display the historical records of key process parameters and equipment operating status with trend charts and reports, providing timely and accurate quality evaluation and production status evaluation for process control for better lean control and smart scheduling. The historical curve window provides historical data analysis of important process data in a selected period of time such as 60 days, 90 days, etc.

The centralized monitoring system for tobacco production line designed with GE Digital’s Proficy software meets the diverse control needs of on-site users, improves production efficiency, and accelerates operator and management decision-making.

At the same time, the platform also has the powerful advantages of good scalability and strong integration for data collection and analysis.

Beijing Dart has deployed the application of this software solution in many cigarette factories and has won unanimous praise from users.