On this page:
More about modular automation

Topics February 25, 2020
Ahead of the Curve with MTP

The boiler “off the shelf” is symptomatic of current development in process engineering. Instead of continuing to view systems like a tailor-made suit, just hand-welded instead of sewn, process configurations are increasingly arriving in the form of modules.

Regardless of whether it is a washer, drier, or column, standardized stock products can be procured faster and at lower costs – which in turn leads to shorter construction times and lower investment costs. The catch: Every day saved during construction of the hardware places increased pressure on the programmers, who have to integrate the automated modules. Background: SCADA systems are predominately programmed by hand. The use of MTPs – Module Type Packages – provides noticeable relief, now and in the future.

The “Module Type Package” (MTP) is a Necessity for Modular Systems

Dr. Thomas Tauchnitz, a former board member of NAMUR

Chemical production ”out of the box” already exists. Individual processes are functionally encapsulated in sealed modules, and can be easily connected and reconnected into new systems. Versatile production platforms are necessary, particularly for small to mid-sized batches. Standardized interfaces are needed in order to easily and quickly combine the modules. The Module Type Package takes over this task for automation, similar to how a printer driver works. “The MTP is logical and absolutely necessary,” emphasizes Dr. Thomas Tauchnitz, a former board member of NAMUR. The PhD engineer in automation supports Industry 4.0 processes with his consulting firm, Tautomation, primarily in the chemical industry, and is considered one of the founders of modular design.

MTP on the Path to an International Standard

The challenges for modular automation were defined by a NAMUR task force, founded in 2012. WAGO introduced the DIMA concept, including the term MTP, in 2014. NAMUR and ZVEI founded a joint task force, whose job was to find answers and provide recommendations about how modular automation should ideally work in process technology. “We brought people to the table, who were suffering from the same psychological stress in programming in automation.” The teams worked well together, which led to the first pages of the VDI/VDE/NAMUR Guidelines 2658 with the title, “Automation Engineering of Modular Systems in the Process Industry”. And IEC standard is to follow. Tauchnitz stresses that, “An international standard is the logical goal.”

Why this expense? Quickly changing market demands are also affecting process engineering. Relevant indicators include shorter delivery times, smaller batches, and the increasing number of new products, which are quickly brought to market in international competition. Dr. Tauchnitz discusses this in relation to the 50% idea. “If we can succeed in halving the time it takes to get from the investment decision, through construction, to commissioning, then we can design systems that are somewhat more expensive, because we can bring our product to market faster.” Speed equals a competitive edge and a faster return on investment (ROI) due to earlier generation of marginal returns.

Why this expense?

Speed equals a competitive edge and a faster return on investment (ROI) due to earlier generation of marginal returns.

Open Systems for Process Technology

This development requires system technologies that are able to follow the necessary tempo. Tauchnitz is therefore of the opinion that the days of closed, monolithic automation systems are numbered. The future belongs to open systems, which bring the established modularity of process devices into automation, with the help of MTPs. Conceptually, the Module Type Package can be compared to printer drivers from the Office world. MTP works as a standardized interface and functional map of entire system modules.

WAGO has already specifically implemented this technology. The WAGO PFC200 Series and PFC200 XTR with MTP functionality already provide the signals for modular automation at the controller level. The Standard, Advanced, and Marine variants of the Touch Panels from the 762 Series are likewise ready for MTP. Module Type Packages can be written with a mouse click by using WAGO's central engineering software, e!COCKPIT. WAGO has also expanded the e!COCKPIT range of functions with add-ons, and a library of functions and graphics for module programming.

Always the Same Images

Uniform visualization is an essential part of MTPs. The configuration of the human-machine-interface occupied the NAMUR task force for a considerable time during the definition of the common standard. “Machines used in process technology are usually designed for on-site operation, have their own controller, and a small display,” explains Tauchnitz. However, because process engineering systems are controlled by a central control panel, the goal cannot consist of controlling individual processes on site and monitoring them by hand. Most recently, the question has arisen regarding how machines from different manufacturers can be seamlessly integrated into centralized SCADA systems, and how to budget for the time-consuming programming tasks.

“You have to tell the module controller which values to export; then you have to tell the control system which data to import. This currently relies on the programmers writing long lists – with the goal of moving the necessary data transfer along,” reports Tauchnitz. If there are changes, then both sides of the program have to be adapted. “This is completely inefficient, because this work has to be redone for every new combination.”

The hidden additional costs become clear when considering visualization. Instead of using the data from the user interface of a system module for a central visualization, the on-site image has to be newly programmed in the SCADA system. In contrast, the MTP tells the central system which operating elements are to be displayed at which locations on the screen. “For example, a boiler is always in the center, and the temperature display is in the upper-right,” states Tauchnitz. The central system ultimately determines how the visualization should be configured. The MTP, for its part, specifies the framework for the process module to be displayed.

Conclusion

Modularly-designed process technology provides production with more freedom to produce small batches without time-consuming retrofitting and complex reprogramming of the central system. MTP takes the pressure of automation off of the software engineers, because production modules can be easily connected to the control system. As a consequence, even mono-type systems for large volume production of raw materials can be more easily retrofitted and modernized into sub-systems. Like a printer driver, MTP ensures that modules can be linked into the SCADA system regardless of controller. This architecture ultimately promotes the “best-in-class” concept, because system parts can be used without controller restrictions.

MTP as a Cyber-Physical System

The goal and essence of Industry 4.0 is to distribute the control intelligence from the central system to the application level. Therefore, the different process modules in a system must be equipped with their own IT and communication capabilities – and thus become a cyber-physical system. “We are dealing with autonomous, intelligent, sub-units,” according to Dr. Tauchnitz. It may be extrapolated from there, that the participants in a production aggregate are, as a result of their autonomous intelligence, best placed to transmit their status to the higher-level control level. Starting from this thesis – that a module knows best how it is functioning – Industry 4.0 opens up new opportunities for system optimization and sustainable maintenance, based primarily on standardized interfaces and data formats. MTPs function the same way. The administration shell in Industry 4.0 is the Module Type Package in modular automation. “With regard to the administration shell, we are talking about a complete electronic map of a component – a virtual twin. This is incredibly similar to the MTP. The Module Type Package virtually contains the process technical components of the administration shell and thus fits into the Industry 4.0 context.”

Personal Details: Dr. Thomas Tauchnitz

Complex systems were Dr. Thomas Tauchnitz' dissertation topic at the Leibniz University Hannover. Because chemical processes can be considered complex by nature, Tauchnitz began working at Hoechst AG after completing his degree. Operational support and system design, locally and globally, determined his work. “It is my nature to automate things,” states Tauchnitz, who has spent virtually his entire working life in the Hoechst industrial park in Frankfurt, first at Hoechst itself, then for the successor companies Aventis and Sanofi. At age 60, the former NAMUR board member left the company. However, Tauchnitz did not retire; instead, he founded his own company as a consultant for problems relating to Industry 4.0. After all, complex systems and their engineering and automation are his first hobby. Dr. Thomas Tauchnitz resides in the greater Frankfurt area.

More about modular automation

System Operators

Learn how to react faster to market demands by making your systems more adaptable.

Module Engineers

One-click module engineering: Take advantage of the benefits MTP offers.