Preferred applications
By the example of Siemens: Customers worldwide have been entrusting their valuable production processes to the SIMATIC S5 control system for more than 20 years.
It is very understandable that Siemens is now gradually removing the successful S5 models from its standard delivery programme. The S5 control systems are obviously getting a bit long in the tooth, development has clearly progressed. The successor - the SIMATIC S7 system - has become the established and undisputed state-of-the-art.
Other well-known manufacturers, such as e.g. Allen Bradley or Schneider, also offer state-of-the-art control systems, which are superior to the old systems in many ways. Considerable progress has been made within the last 2 decades concerning functionality and performance. The changeover of a production plant from an old to a new control system, frequently also called "migration", can bring about many improvements:
- High flexibility and/or expansion / upgrade capability
- Increased productivity and efficiency
- Higher product quality
- Implementation of new guidelines
- and much more
Function
Why change the old control system?
- Example Siemens: S5 control systems are phase-out products! The countdown is running ...
- The old systems have an increasingly inferior cost/performance ratio due to significant price increases of the manufacturers
- The service and support options for old systems are decreasing rapidly.
- Strongly limited functional range
- No up-to-date diagnostic possibilities
- High costs for expansions / upgrades, if these even still make sense and/or are possible.
- High maintenance costs
- Due to the age of the components, there is an increased danger of sudden electronic defects and therefore expensive idle times. Do not wait for the next breakdown!
Why do you need a modern control system?
- State-of-the-art: both of functionality and performance.
- High flexibility and/or expansion / upgrade capability
- Increased productivity and efficiency
- Higher product quality
- You have all possibilities of state-of-the-art automatic control engineering at your fingertips, e.g. MES and ERP
- Implementation of new guidelines
- Investment security by automation concepts, such as e.g. Siemens - Totally Integrated Automation (TIA)
- Better service and support by the manufacturer
- Better / faster spare part supply with by far lower spare part costs
- Lower maintenance costs
- Clearing up of "historically grown" structures
- Smooth coupling of the control system
- Improved handling of data
