Take control of your future!
World Control Tour visits Automation Scandinavia in Sweden to look at the future of automation and how v6 fits
The importance of having an efficient control system in the process industries has increased dramatically in recent years. Plant owners and system engineers realize that it’s the key to staying competitive and predictable in a very tough global market. Process automation serves to master the production, improve process safety and plant availability, and efficiently utilize resources—and will continue to do so with advancements made in the future.
Hundreds of Process automation professionals from different industries gathered at Automation Scandinavia on the 7th and 8th of May in Västerås, Sweden. The show was also home to The World Control Tour’s 4th stop. Future industry trends and challenges were presented and discussed as well as different solutions to reach higher productivity. Designed with an eye toward the future, System 800xA v6 fit into this conversation effortlessly.
I had the pleasure of participating in and helping to host this great event and was amazed at the knowledge sharing and interesting discussion during the two-day event. One of my main takeaways was that different industries have a lot to learn from each other. This was also one of the positive themes we heard in feedback from customers. We hosted several customer presentations wherein 800xA users from various industries shared their experiences of deploying it as an integration platform to increase collaboration and make better use of information. One example of how they accomplished this was by using Smart Client solutions or integrating their ERP and/or maintenance systems with System 800xA.
The Boliden Aitik mine, the largest copper mine in Sweden, is a great example of a forward-thinking site. It’s the first plant in the world (at least that we know of!) to integrate their maintenance system with 800xA, allowing them to manage maintenance in a much more proactive way and place themselves way ahead of their competition in this field. The Boliden Aitik mine was also an early adopter of the Operator Effectiveness concept—creating a collaborative control room environment years before it gained notoriety in the marketplace.
The traditional barriers between information, communication and process automation technology are, in the operational context, gradually disappearing. The latest technologies, including wireless networks, and asset management systems, boost the efficiency of control systems. This was demonstrated at Automation Scandinavia in ABB’s Automation Arena where the audience was visually taken through the problems a typical plant faces: unplanned shutdowns, retirement in the workforce and dealing with “silo mentality” within the organizations. System 800xA v6 offers a dynamic environment that can solve these real-world process industry issues.
We are all very passionate about our product. After ten years, it is a shining example of what hard work and collaboration are capable of. But, walking around and listening to 800xA users speak of their own experiences, I realized that it was not only within ABB that people brag about what can be achieved with 800xA.
We enjoyed 800xA’s visit “home”, but the show must go on. Check back for further updates as 800xA continues its debut around the world. The World Control Tour has recently visited Italy and China.