Even in the most complex industrial environment, order and efficiency are critical. A reliable process control system (PCS) is at the heart of every modern production plant. It is used in processing plants to control and visualize the plant as well as to collect and store production data to ensure safe, efficient and reliable industrial plant operation. A PCS improves product quality by optimizing industrial processes.
All industrial sectors are facing upheavals, however – energy transition, digital transformation and IT security pose challenges for plant operators in relation to automation. With many years of expertise implementing PCS projects, B&R helps operators master current challenges by providing customized solutions. With APROL, B&R's process control system, customers rely on a future-proof architecture, secure interfacesbased on the industry standard OPC UA and more efficient process automation.
What is a process control system?
A process control system (PCS) is a computer-based system for monitoring and controlling industrial processes. It consists of three main components: Field device interfaces (FDI), control and monitoring stations (CAM) and the engineering components (EC). In addition to basic functions such as graphics, trend, alarm and report systems, B&R APROL also offers functions such as version management, change control, audit trail, user management, standard libraries and fieldbus technologies.
Full scalability
Successful PCS projects are characterized by their high scalability. These systems offer maximum flexibility because they can be easily adapted to a company's ever-changing requirements. Scalable PCS systems are key to increasing efficiency and improving security. A notable example is the APROL system, which consists of three central components. Depending on the needs and size of the system, these components can be consolidated on a single device or optionally distributed across multiple redundant devices. In larger systems, a client/server architecture is used that can even support up to 64 runtime servers. This exceptional scalability of APROL enables seamless adaptation to your company's specific requirements.
Efficient engineering
Engineering a process control system (PCS) is a demanding and time-consuming process that covers the entire range from planning and development to implementation and commissioning. In this complex environment, time pressure, coordination and managing high complexity are often the biggest challenges. This is precisely where APROL comes in, by integrating all automation components in a common engineering tool. Even during operation, changes can be implemented easily and securely, allowing flexible adaptation to changing requirements. APROL not only optimizes the engineering process at your company, it also takes security and flexibility in the operational phase to a new level.
Reliable security
Reliable security mechanisms are crucial for smooth operation of process control systems (PCS). These mechanisms serve to protect against unauthorized access, manipulation and misuse. Various security features are seamlessly integrated into APROL, including certificate management, preconfigured firewalls and system hardening. These elements form an integral part of the APROL system and ensure effective protection against potential hacker attacks. Continuous monitoring of the systems and regular application of updates and patches are other important steps to ensure the integrity and security of the APROL system. With these comprehensive security precautions, you are able to operate your process control systems securely and also extremely efficiently.
APROL's system architecture is extremely flexible and infinitely scalable: It allows you to set up to 64 runtime servers, which underscores the system's performance and adaptability to the specific requirements of your application.
B&R offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial PCs in various performance classes and form factors. This allows customers to select the optimal hardware for each project while achieving outstanding value for their money.
APROL Process Control - Licenses R 4.2 ("Classic" phase)
APROL Process Control - Licenses R 4.4 ("Active" phase)
Industrial PCs
B&R industrial PCs are specially developed to meet the high demands of our industrial customers for robustness, reliability and long-term availability. More and more leading decision makers from various industries are turning to B&R industrial PCs because they understand that seemingly inexpensive PCs are often the most expensive solution in the long run. Ultimately, the cost is calculated at the end of the product life cycle and this is exactly where B&R industrial PCs show their unbeatable cost advantages.
B&R industrial PCs are also available in fanless versions, making them ideal for use in demanding conditions such as dusty environments. They are used in a wide range of scenarios, including monitoring and control of power plants, building automation in smart buildings and control of production facilities in the automotive industry.
In addition, selected industrial PCs are ISOBUS-certified, which enables cross-manufacturer data exchange for agricultural technology. With B&R, you are ready for the future and can rely on the proven robustness, reliability and performance of our industrial PCs.
X20 System
With the X20 System, B&R offers a comprehensive portfolio of controllers that allows customers to precisely match the resources they need, such as interfaces, processor power and RAM, to their specific application requirements. An outstanding feature of the X20 System is its ability to provide high availability without the need for expensive special hardware. Even existing systems can be retrofitted for high availability with minimal effort, providing excellent return on investment.
The X20 System also includes a comprehensive safety solution that makes it possible to add safety functions to any X20 automation system. This ensures a safe operating environment.
By using B&R Hypervisor, industrial PCs can be deployed simultaneously as real-time controllers and as Linux or Windows PCs. This makes extremely compact and scalable solutions possible, such as for pilot plants or modular plant engineering. B&R focuses on flexibility and performance to help customers implement their projects.
Remote I/O
The use of remote I/O modules as an interface between the technical process and the automation system unlocks numerous advantages. These include customizing the plant structure even during the engineering phase, significantly reducing wiring effort and minimizing maintenance over the entire lifecycle.
B&R offers a comprehensive portfolio of I/O modules in IP20 and IP67 protection classes that are fully compatible with each other. The X20 System consists of three components, making wiring and maintenance particularly efficient. The topology can be adapted to the plant without any restrictions, which minimizes the wiring and engineering effort.
In intelligent I/O modules, such as those used for condition monitoring, complex calculations are performed directly in the module. This allows the large amounts of data generated by short sampling intervals to be processed in the module without unnecessarily burdening the bus systems and controllers. This enables decentralized intelligence in the I/O system.
Networked in all directions
Connectivity and openness is a crucial feature of a modern automation and process control system. With APROL, you have the ability to communicate seamlessly in all directions, whether between different components of your system, to external devices or for integration into higher-level networks.
APROL offers interfaces to all communication protocols commonly used in the industry. The OPC UA client and OPC UA server are also available directly on the APROL runtime servers.
This extensive connectivity enables smooth communication and data exchange, which is critical for the efficiency and functionality of an automation system.
B&R POWERLINK is an open Ethernet-based protocol developed for industrial automation applications. It offers deterministic data transmission in real time and is suitable for use in demanding applications such as machine manufacturing and plant engineering, the process industry and the automotive industry.
OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) is a vendor-independent protocol that enables secure, scalable and reliable communication between different devices and systems. OPC UA integrates security mechanisms for encryption, signatures and authentication, and it supports redundancy of servers, clients and networks via services.
APROL functions
Industrial cybersecurity
B&R has integrated a wide range of security functions into the APROL system to ensure system availability, reliability and security and to protect and maintain trouble-free operation of equipment. These security measures include not only protection against unauthorized access to information, but also the security of transmitted data. With these integrated security features, B&R ensures that APROL meets the highest standards for data security and protection against potential threats. This enables users to operate their process control systems in a trustworthy and secure manner.
Language switching
Support for any language and the ability to easily manage multilingual systems are important features of APROL. With TranslationManager, users can manage and customize system content in multiple languages to meet the needs and preferences of their target audiences. This feature allows APROL to be used globally in different countries and regions without having language barriers, enhances usability and improves communication in international environments.
Unified engineering
The availability of a uniform engineering system in APROL is a decisive advantage. No matter how many inputs and outputs you use or which system architecture you choose, the system engineer always has access to all APROL functions and editors. This not only enables consistent and efficient development and configuration, but also allows existing systems to be easily expanded and adapted at any time. This further emphasizes the flexibility and scalability of APROL and makes it easier to integrate new components and functions into your existing automation environment.
Process Automation Library
The Process Automation Library (PAL) provides all the process control system functions in the form of easy-to-use building blocks. This allows engineers to easily and efficiently configure and implement process control functions. With this library, complex automation tasks can be divided into manageable modules, which greatly simplifies the development and maintenance of control logic. The availability of a well-organized and extensive building block library greatly facilitates the implementation of process control systems and contributes to efficiency and user-friendliness.
Control performance monitoring
The Control Performance Monitor (CPM) is a valuable tool that helps personnel operate equipment efficiently. By analyzing standard data available in each control loop, the CPM control module can automatically calculate key figures. These metrics allow operators and engineers to easily assess control quality and monitor process control performance. This helps to optimize plant operation, detect deviations at an early stage and, if necessary, take measures to improve control performance, ultimately leading to more efficient and stable plant operation.
Advanced process control
Advanced process control (APC) enables efficient and safe automation of complex production processes. By applying advanced control and optimization algorithms, process resources are more precisely controlled and better utilized. This results in improved product quality, higher production capacity and reduced energy consumption. APC helps keep processes stable, even under changing conditions and enables companies to make the best use of valuable resources. It is a key tool for increasing efficiency and competitiveness in the manufacturing industry.
Condition monitoring
Condition monitoring is a valuable technique that detects damage or contamination to machinery and equipment through vibration measurements and other criteria. The results of the measurements are visualized in an interactive 3D graphic. This visualization provides plant operators and maintenance technicians with an effective way to monitor and evaluate the condition of machinery and equipment. As a result, problems can be identified and corrected at an early stage before they lead to major failures or expensive repairs. This helps maximize the availability and reliability of machinery and equipment while increasing maintenance efficiency.
Business intelligence
APROL offers extensive reporting options that allow operating and process data to be monitored and evaluated in real time. An efficient system component for Business Intelligence complements the range of functions and provides important features for factory automation and Industrial IoT applications. With the corresponding app, dashboards and reports can also be viewed and edited on mobile devices. This allows users to access critical operational information anytime, anywhere, and take action to improve efficiency and performance in real time. Integrating business intelligence into APROL facilitates data-driven decision making and increases transparency in factory automation.
Power generation solutions
Phasing out coal-fired power generation and increasing the use of more environmentally friendly energy sources such as solar energy, biomass, wind power, geothermal energy and hydrogen are crucial steps needed to meet the challenges presented by climate change. In this transition to more sustainable energy sources, highly available and scalable industrial control systems like APROL are becoming increasingly important.
With APROL, companies can ensure that their power generation processes are operated in an efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. This will help reduce CO2 emissions and promote a greener future, which is urgently needed to curb climate change.
Maritime solutions
Large ships worldwide require a reliable and robust automation solution that can safely withstand the demanding conditions at sea. In view of the wide range of automation tasks on board, numerous APROL DCS-based functions are used.
→ Solutions for the maritime industry and offshore applications