Solution Overview
Shockingly, dangerous trends and incidents can be missed by some personnel due a lack of unified communication and if they are observed, follow-up human procedures related to anomalies in the process data are often still paper-based. Critical time is wasted trying to find the important information related to a process unit or piece of equipment, which needs to be accessed quickly when resolving an ongoing incident.
To ease these pains, companies have invested in singular digital applications to manage human operations procedures, maintenance work orders, real-time and historical process data, engineering schematics and technical documentation. Despite this digital step in the right direction, the core problem of siloed information is still prevalent. For example, a plant may have industry leading software like the OSIsoft™ PI System™ to monitor real-time and historical data from equipment, sensors, instruments, the DCS and SCADA systems but are still managing their engineering schematics, user manuals, technical documentation and human operations procedures using other disparate tools. There are often frustrations when interfacing these related tools together, resulting in plant and executive personnel still not being readily aware of safety-critical information.
To meet these challenges and increase collaboration across teams, the HxGN SDx® Connector for OSIsoft solution has been developed. HxGN SDx Operations is a central platform for creating Digital Operational Twins – that are continually verified and kept up to date – from multiple data sources to improve asset health, reduce maintenance costs and improve overall performance at facilities across a variety of industries.
The HxGN SDx Connector for OSIsoft combines and brings additional value to the users of both solutions, by interfacing and transforming real-time and historical “2D” data from the PI System’s Asset Framework (AF) into a “3D” context in HxGN SDx Operations (using Info Maps, 3D Models and Laser Scans). Providing operations and maintenance personnel, engineers, HSE teams and corporate executives greater visibility while reducing unnecessary costs – such as time wasted searching for information – caused by disconnected data. When time is critical this allows engineering schematics like P&IDs, user manuals, technical documentation and PI System real-time and historical process data to be quickly found on one HxGN SDx Operations platform and even accessed within PI Vision™.
Solution Approach
HxGN SDx is a web-based product that provides a set of workflows designed explicitly for plant operations and maintenance (HxGN SDx Operations) and for engineering project planning and execution (HxGN SDx Projects). HxGN SDx is built on the core SmartPlant® Foundation application and server architecture.
HxGN SDx Operations provides functionality to view, organize, search, navigate, link, capture, and index unstructured and unmanaged data at industrial plants, which is used to create a Digital Twin. All administration and configuration of HxGN SDx Operations is done using web client and desktop client software. HxGN SDx Operations is designed to accurately reflect the selected industry work processes, but it is agile enough to meet specific needs of any industry.
The HxGN SDx Connector for OSIsoft uses sync tags with the OSIsoft PI System through Open Data Protocol (OData) calls. HxGN SDx Connectors are also available for other applications commonly used with the OSIsoft PI System (such as IBM Maximo®, j5 Operations Management Solutions, SAP® Plant Maintenance (PM) and many others).