PI System

Business Challenge

Process-focused manufacturing companies produce extremely large amounts of data from a wide variety of sources throughout their operations, front office and back office. Plant managers and business executives need access to this information in a meaningful and practical format, so they can direct operations toward increased profitability and productivity, and additionally conduct effective business planning. Information aggregation from a multitude of sources manually or through custom programming can be costly and slow to deliver business value. Companies need to find a way to unify the streams of information from many sources into a single, comprehensive system that lets them accomplish their business goals as they manage their operation to achieve the highest levels of performance and productivity. The OSIsoft^® PI System^TM provides this unification at over 11,000 mission-critical installations worldwide.

PI System Overview

The PI System provides real-time event management, retrieval, and deep archiving of volumes of data for scalable management of relevant variables and events enterprise-wide. The PI System brings all operational data into a single system that can deliver it to users at all levels of the company - from the plant floor to the enterprise level. The PI System keeps all critical operating data online and available in a specialized time-series database so it is always available. With the help of the PI System's reporting and analytical tools, the wealth of data in your operation can drive meaningful, empowered and informed action. The PI System, now enhanced for very high data volumes and new technologies like 64-bit computing, gives you the power to practice comprehensive performance management on as wide or narrow scope as necessary, all in real-time. From process areas anywhere in your operation to enterprise information systems, the PI System integrates all information systems into a streamlined management infrastructure. Because the PI System is built to be an off-the-shelf set of products, implementation is fast and yields tangible results rapidly, often in just days after commissioning.

TECHNICAL COMPONENTS

PI System. Routes real-time data throughout the entire information infrastructure. The PI System connects all information sources to make a complete, set of relevant data available to everybody who needs to see it and work with it.

PI Interfaces. OSIsoft offers more than 400 standard connectors which link the PI System with Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Laboratory Information Systems (LIMS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems (SCADA), IT Infrastructure (routers, switches, gateways) and other equipment and business systems.

PI Server Applications. Users can get more out of their real-time data with PI Server Applications such as PI Alarm, PI Batch, PI Real-time SQC, PI SQC Alarms, PI Steam Tables and PI Totalizer. These processing tools automate processes and allow users to leverage their real-time data using server-based calculations and modules.

PI ProcessTemplates. Identifies process events, measure their repeatability, and provide a way to use this information to create templates of expected process events.

PI Advanced Computing Engine (ACE). Supports the design of complex process calculations with minimal code-writing and eases the process of applying these calculations to multiple units and processes.

Benefits

Fast return on investment. Realize positive results immediately upon implementation of the PI System, and generate returns on your investments in data, infrastructures, processes, and personnel.

Empowered managers and workers. Deliver real-time and historical data from your processes quickly and securely to the right people and business roles, so they can practice sound management and make informed business decisions.

Real-time performance management. As the data collection and distribution engine for the manufacturing plant and its processes, the PI System supports efficient, responsive, real-time performance management. The PI System serves as the time-series repository for all the events on the operations floor.

Features

Consistent, high performance. Give managers and workers direct access to vast data volumes, accommodating more users, more data storage, and more overall data throughput.

Server consolidation. Create a large central PI System in your corporate data center with millions of data streams so that your manufacturing data is readily available in a centralized location.

Platform scalability. Implement the PI System in a Windows environment using either 32-bit or 64-bit processors.

PI System security. Protect critical data by determining the appropriate permissions for all user accounts, and integrate the PI System into your existing security infrastructure and policies.

TECHNICAL COMPONENTS

PI System Thin Clients: RtWebParts, and RtPortal iViews. Interactive displays can be created that provide visibility into real-time production data and provide them to users in their Web browsers.

RLINK. RLINK connects the PI System to a company's ERP or EAM system, such as SAP R/3, JD Edwards One World, MRO Software Maximo or Indus International Passport/EMPAC. This enables sound business management based on comprehensive, real-time information.

Sigmafine reconciles raw process data and generates a consistent set of unified operating data for all stakeholders and information workers.

PI System Smart Clients: ProcessBook, AlarmView, DataLink, RtReports and BatchView are used to bring process data to individual Windows desktops to support effective process management and efficient data analysis and reporting.

Analysis Framework. Enables an organization to define a consistent representation of its assets and use these assets in simple to complex analyses that yield critical and actionable information.

INFORMATION

• High Availability PI System