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Further development of process control system for laboratory requirements

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08.08.2008

The Siemens Industry Automation Division has added new components to its Simatic PCS 7 Lab process control system, specially tailored to suit laboratory requirements.

This process control system is based on the compact Box PC. It has a space-saving design and is thus especially well suited to experiments in laboratory environments. The ET200pro distributed I/O device has now been integrated into the overall system. The ET200pro I/O module can be installed direct in lab equipment thanks to its high degree of protection IP67.

Lab equipment such as scales or mixers can be simply connected to the ET200pro thanks to its host of serial interfaces and analog and binary channels. There are now also special drivers for connecting such lab equipment as well as an SER module for supporting eight additional serial RS 232C devices. The areas of application of Simatic PCS 7 Lab include labs in the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and food and beverages industries, especially in breweries and dairies, as well as in the production of edible oils and sugar.

Simatic PCS 7 Lab now comprises five components: PC module, power module, serial module, ET200-M I/O module, and ET200pro I/O module. The distributed configuration in a stable housing enables flexible use in changing locations. At the heart of PCS 7 Lab is the PC module, a compact Box PC equipped with an automation system, an operator system and an engineering system. In the standard configuration, the PC module comes with an ET200M I/O module or an ET200pro I/O module. The components are pre-installed and can be supplemented with software packages such as Simatic Batch or Simatic PCS7 Asset Management. Simatic PCS 7 Lab runs on the system software of the scalable Simatic PCS 7standard process control system. PCS 7 Lab can thus be easily expanded to meet growing demands in the lab, or the automation solution developed in the lab can be transferred to a production plant controlled with the standard PCS 7 without any break in compatibility.

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the worldwide leading supplier of production, transportation and building technologies. With integrated hardware and software technologies as well as comprehensive Industry-specific solutions, Siemens increases the productivity and efficiency of its customers in the fields of industry and infrastructure. The Sector consists of six divisions: Building Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility, Drive Technologies and Osram. With around 209,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry achieved in fiscal 2007 total sales of approximately EUR40 billion (pro forma, unconsolidated).

The Siemens Industry Automation Division (Nuremberg, Germany) is a worldwide leader in the fields of automation systems, low-voltage switchgear and industrial software. Its portfolio ranges from standard products for the manufacturing and process industries to solutions for whole industrial sectors that encompass the automation of entire automobile production facilities and chemical plants. As a leading software supplier, Industry Automation optimizes the entire value added chain of manufacturers – from product design and development to production, sales and a wide range of maintenance services.

Gerhard Stauss | Source: Siemens Industry Solutions
Further information: www.siemens.com/pcs7
www.siemens.com/automation/press
www.siemens.com/industry

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