Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya from ABB discusses how ABB Ability™ SmartMaster facilitates improved management of the industrial players' instrumentation base by bridging the physical and digital world. The vast worldwide installed base of field devices responsible for sensing tasks plays a crucial role in this context.
Image Credit: ABB Measurement & Analytics
Regular product verification is an important way to ensure processes continuously operate at their peak. How does ABB Ability™ SmartMaster fit into ABB’s digital suite of verification solutions?
Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya. Image Credit: ABB Measurement & Analytics
For a while now, our primary focus has revolved around the development of a comprehensive asset performance management platform.
This platform encompasses a digital suite of solutions that facilitate on-premise, on-cloud, remote access, and predictive maintenance. The suite consists of three key solutions, each designed to address specific challenges and collectively ensure optimized plant operations.
The initial solution, ABB Ability™ Smart Device Manager, serves as a product configurator that simplifies and secures the installation and commissioning process.
Recently launched, the second solution, called ABB Ability™ SmartMaster, is a cutting-edge condition-monitoring platform compatible with a range of ABB and other devices.
SmartMaster remotely collects data from field devices and provides an overview of the installed instrumentation base. It offers a fleet-level application that furnishes customers with condition monitoring information and health checks for their installed base.
Whenever the SmartMaster detects an issue, our third solution, ABB Ability™ Verification for measurement devices, steps in to offer on-site, in-depth analysis of individual devices through a hardware health check.
To accomplish this, we employ the on-site service tool SRV500, which conducts comprehensive verifications, including hardware simulation checks.
What are the main challenges for industrial operators when it comes to managing field devices and how does ABB Ability™ SmartMaster solve them?
Managing field devices and instrumentation, such as flow meters, level meters, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, and valve positioners, can pose significant challenges for industrial operators.
Ensuring measurement accuracy, regulatory compliance, operational status, and the ability to diagnose and predict failures are crucial for the optimal performance of each field device. This is of utmost importance for industrial processes.
Given the vast number of devices involved, effectively managing them necessitates a comprehensive asset performance management platform.
The ABB Ability™ SmartMaster fulfills this need precisely. It is specifically designed to address the requirements of large installations of field devices.
The SmartMaster seamlessly bridges the physical and digital realms, transmitting valuable field information directly to the customer's phone, tablet, or other devices.
By following a predetermined schedule, SmartMaster collects data for condition monitoring purposes. It verifies device health and provides the customer with an overview of the NAMUR status.
Access to this knowledge empowers plant operators to plan service operations, order spare parts, and arrange device replacements.
In the event of recurring device failures, operators require deeper insights into the causes of failure. SmartMaster facilitates this through calendar view analysis and the provision of analytical reports on failure scenarios.
What operational set-ups does the ABB Ability™ SmartMaster cater for?
The SmartMaster has been developed as a three-tier solution designed to cater specifically to various operational set-ups.
The on-premise solution offers remote monitoring support, allowing for the management of collected data within the customer's network.
The cloud-based solution provides each customer with a dedicated link for monitoring, ensuring the secure management of collected data within ABB's customer-exclusive infrastructure.
As for the shared cloud solution, it offers a global link for monitoring to all customers, with the collected data securely managed within ABB's common cloud infrastructure.
With remote access, costs are reduced as remote experts can conduct pre-compliance activities, thereby minimizing the need for routine visits to the site by an engineer.
The deployment of measurement devices in challenging connectivity areas is facilitated through field device integration (FDI) technology, enabling seamless device connection without additional wiring or disruption to operations. Additionally, SmartMaster can connect via 3G/4G and NB-IoT networks.
Who is ABB Ability™ SmartMaster for?
It is becoming necessary for large and small plant operators with a significant instrumentation base.
Every day, new operating standards and regulations go into effect due to the ever-changing nature of market requirements. This impacts the economics and ecology of plant management.
In addition to increasing efficiency, plant operators are expected to become more sustainable. To accomplish this, they employ advanced technology. However, siloed applications and data limit insight and efficiency.
Connecting the physical and digital worlds and releasing the power of data is the future. Industry participants must integrate operations, engineering, and management on a single platform to gain in-depth insight into their devices and instruments.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by ABB Measurement & Analytics.
For more information on this source, please visit ABB Measurement & Analytics.