Enhanced Connectivity for
Smart Production

Connectivity for intelligent observation and monitoring solutions in the process industry

Data transparency enables productive and safe system operation. The key to this is gradual digitalization in process automation. Thanks to intelligent automation technology, you can collect and transfer the necessary field data without compromising operational safety.

Open, secure, and scalable connection and communication solutions from Phoenix Contact enable you to utilize available process data for efficient system operation.

Field connectivity between OT and IT

Many systems have been in use for decades and often have proprietary hardware and software. Communication interfaces that are no longer supported hamper data exchange and communication.

Our connection and communication solutions now make it possible to use field data that previously could not be utilized. We enable you to benefit from the seamless interaction of the OT and IT levels, which increases the productivity and availability of your production plants.

Access security and impact-free characteristics

Based on the NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA) concept, the relevant monitoring information is made available to the control system via OPC UA. Data diodes ensure that high-availability processes are not compromised. Our automation solutions are certified in accordance with IEC 62443-2-4, thereby ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of your process data.

Continuous data flow between OT and IT

Since production plants vary with regard to runtime, the level of automation, and electrification, individual concepts are required for data acquisition and data transport. Whether HART, PROFIBUS, Modbus, PROFINET, OPC UA, via cable or wirelessly: with our wide range of communication solutions we will work with you to create the right concept for easily reading, transmitting, and providing the necessary field data.

Efficient from prototype to scalable solution

Scalability creates flexibility and reduces complexity as well as the budget in the introductory phase. Depending on your experience in the pilot phase, it is possible to adapt the concept for the next phase. We will be happy to assist you: from the design and construction of a prototype as well as proof of concept through to the scalable rollout and gradual expansion of your use cases.

Pulsating elements are clickable

Internet of Things (IoT) IoT platforms open up new possibilities for using field data to improve production in a targeted manner. To ensure seamless OT and IT interaction, we convert fieldbus protocols and I/O data into IT-compliant syntax. This can then be used for additional services such as predictive maintenance, the creation of a digital twin or for sustainable process optimization.

Eco system With our technological approach of an open, secure, and scalable ecosystem, we show how the NOA concept of openness, flexibility, and agile solutions can be combined in practice with the core aspects of process technology (robustness, security, and reliability). We enable data to be accessed, transported, and processed or converted independently of the protocol or transmission medium.

Emergency showers Various different occupational safety standards require this safety equipment to be checked on a regular basis. Typically the emergency shower is routinely triggered at the location and its function checked in this way. With a central monitoring solution, we permanently ensure that the emergency shower is also working properly between routine inspections. This also increases the safety of plant personnel, as the nearest emergency response officer is alerted immediately.

Hand valves Depending on the production step, and especially in existing installations, hand valves have to be set to the correct position by plant personnel. Using checklists, an employee goes round the expansive plants and prepares for the startup, flushing or cleaning of the production plant. Incorrect operations can result in anything from production stoppages to major accidents. Retrofitted NAMUR limit switches and the transfer of I/O information to the control system enable software interlocks to be used for hand valves. We thus ensure the safe operation of your plant in every production step.

Fill levels Tank farms usually consist of different sized tanks, some with a storage capacity of more than 30,000 m³. Continuous monitoring of filling and emptying, including functionally safe overflow protection, helps ensure reliable environmental protection. We create an appropriate solution concept for you comprising control, communication, and connection technology (which is also SIL-compliant), so that you can transmit, process, and quickly respond to Ex and non-Ex signals.

Rotating Equipment A large proportion of unplanned failures are caused by machinery and rotating equipment. Often these elements are either maintained in fixed time frames or not at all. Where maintenance is performed, it is carried out too soon or in some instances too late, thereby resulting in production stoppages. Thanks to permanent monitoring of critical pumps and motors, we enable you to perform maintenance at precisely the right time. Depending on the size and type of machine, hydraulic, mechanical or electrical monitoring may be useful.

Trace heating The temperature of a medium plays a crucial role in many processes. The temperature is controlled using steam, heat exchangers or purely electrically. Older trace heaters are often connected to the power grid via an on/off switch. Failures therefore often go unnoticed, and lead to system downtime. We help you implement an easy and cost-effective monitoring solution, e.g., by measuring the current. Depending on the situation, alerts are sent to the control center via a cable run, wirelessly or even via mobile communication, enabling fast action to be taken before the failure can occur.

Digital twin Construction work, expansion, repairs, and therefore improvisations are constantly being carried out in large-scale plants. As a result, piping and instrumentation diagrams are often out of date. This results in inefficient maintenance, planning, and purchasing processes and can impair safety aspects. The solution is an online comparison between software and field devices. State-of-the-art CAT tools enable data to be compared so that errors can be identified. Even in very old systems, we enable you to retroactively tap HART data and provide the necessary field data, e.g., in OPC UA format, with no ill effects.

Inspection shafts and wells In a widely distributed network of wells and inspection shafts, water levels, the quality of the groundwater, and unauthorized access or sabotage, for example, are checked during regular inspections. Recording the results and manually transferring them to spreadsheets is a laborious process. Retroactively installed monitoring solutions from Phoenix Contact provide the answer. The unauthorized opening of a shaft cover can be signaled, as can the groundwater level, pH value or function of a pump. All data is automatically transmitted to the control center, thereby reducing the amount of work involved and, for example, providing proof of compliance with environmental regulations.

Production sites Production sites can vary greatly depending on the geology, geography, material to be conveyed, and quantity. In addition, they can be located several kilometers apart and often cannot be connected by cables or GSM networks. Older production sites are not usually equipped with monitoring systems and this results in expensive service call-outs. We provide you with robust comprehensive solutions for the digitalization of the oil field, whether retrofitted or a new installation. This enables reliable and cost-effective monitoring and diagnostics, even over large distances.

Pipelines Pipeline leaks can have dramatic consequences for people and the environment. Common causes are not just wear, but also unauthorized access to the transported fuel. To be able to detect leaks, the pressure, temperature, and flow must be continuously determined and checked along the entire pipeline. Though appropriate control and communication technology, we ensure reliable transmission between the measuring stations and control center. Whether using mobile communication, local wireless, FO or cables, you can detect errors at an early stage, report them, and shut down system parts selectively.