Four things to remember when migrating to DCS:
Confirm the necessity of DCS migration;
Conduct an appropriate assessment;
Plan the migration route;
Implement the relocation plan.
The necessity of migration
In its 2015 "DCS Global Outlook" report, ARC Advisory Group estimated that $65 billion worth of process automation systems installed worldwide were nearing the end of their lifespan. Many enterprise DCS systems have been in operation for over 25 years. Many of these systems (worth up to $12 billion) are even the earliest generation of DCS systems installed in the late 1970s.
John Rudolph, Vice President of Lifecycle Solutions and Services at Honeywell's Process Controls division, points out that many vendors treat their business systems and email servers differently from process control systems. The result of companies coordinating resources and working together is the continuous modernization of IT infrastructure. However, factory automation systems do not receive the same treatment.
While older control systems may still function properly after 30 years or more, this doesn't mean they will remain efficient, reliable, safe, or economical. Jeff Morton, sales manager at CrossCompany Systems Integration, believes, "Budgets are always limited, and capital expenditures can be tight, especially for a complete upgrade of a DCS or PLC, as this often means an investment of millions of dollars."
Control systems in refineries and other process plants must maintain optimal performance.
However, if an outdated DCS system causes production facilities to shut down and cannot be restored for a week or even longer, then the investment is negligible compared to the losses caused by the downtime.
Even more worrying is that many facilities are not prepared for system failures or aging, which could have disastrous consequences.
Operations, facilities, or engineering managers need to begin preparing to migrate control systems from legacy systems to a newer, service-supported architecture.
DCS Migration Assessment
According to Rudolph, preventative maintenance is the new normal, provided automation technology remains up-to-date. Companies migrating to newer, more efficient control systems gain a critical advantage over competitors who passively wait for assets to reach the end of their lifespan. The option of "doing nothing" is no longer viable.
Aneel Shahzad Baig, Senior Project Manager for Process Automation at Intech, explained the reasons for the DCS upgrade, including:
The expiration date has arrived;
Technical support ended;
Lack of knowledge or experienced resources to support legacy systems;
Performance issues;
Lack of openness for expansion or integration with new systems;
It lacks the characteristics required to improve control concepts;
Maintenance costs.
Laurie Ben, Emerson's Global Modernization Business Development Director, and Aaron Crews, Global Modernization Solutions Leader, provided further reasons for upgrading control systems, including:
Costs. Maintaining the healthy operation of automated systems is costly;
Value is declining. Automated systems lack the tools and technologies to meet current business needs and market pressures.
Planning migration path
While the initial decision to upgrade and the evaluation of the migration project are necessary, the actual project planning is perhaps by far the most important consideration. Many decisions can be addressed with the classic engineering answer: "It depends."
Rudolph recommends the following upgrades for the legacy DCS:
Technological upgrades involve replacing outdated electronic components;
Technology upgrades, including replacing existing equipment;
Intellectual property upgrades, transitioning to more advanced technologies.
According to Rudolph, typical migration scenarios may include:
Shift control to the latest hardware while preserving the already installed I/O and existing projects;
Transfer control to the latest hardware, retain the existing I/O, and redesign the current control software;
Shift control to the latest hardware, upgrade to the latest I/O, and redesign the control software;
Remove the control system, including I/O, and completely redesign all control software.
Ben and Crews offer three mindsets that can help in the successful implementation of DCS modernization projects:
Begin with the end in mind and set clear goals;
Actively manage project risks;
Use the principles of forward engineering.
Furthermore, relevant training should not be overlooked when planning any form of DCS migration. DCS migration, especially the migration to a new platform, requires consideration of many factors, and improper execution can lead to various problems. Training is an important issue and should be treated with care.
Implement the migration plan
The migration of an aging DCS, although it requires consideration of many factors, can be summarized into four key points: necessity, rationality, planning, and implementation.
“If planned and implemented properly, the migration of control systems can enable manufacturing companies to migrate legacy control platforms according to their own plans, allowing for the addition of new controllers at any time and integration with existing equipment,” Rudolph said. “An effective strategy for addressing technological obsolescence can bring significant operational and business benefits to businesses through seamless integration of the latest and existing automation assets.”
"When migrating an aging DCS, although there are many factors to consider, they can all be summarized into these four key points: necessity, rationality, planning, and implementation."
