Asset Hub vs. Process Areas in dataPARC

dataPARC facilitates two methods of organizing your plant’s data: Asset Hub and Process Areas. Both provide a means of contextualizing tag data, but their functionality and use cases are quite different.

A hierarchy of physical equipment can be arranged in Asset Hub with each item’s properties and attributes defined by data. Production processes can be configured as Process Areas to which tags are associated and product types, production runs, downtime filters, and other operational events and periods are defined.

In general, Asset Hub may be used for physical objects, while Process Area configurations may refer to production operations.

Asset Hub

Purpose:

Asset Hub provides a structure for creating standardized asset types, properties, and calculations that can be applied to many physical resources. Asset Hub implements two types of resources: Assets and Discrete Assets. These correspond directly to the ISA95 resources of Role Based Equipment and Assets respectively.  Both Assets and Discrete Assets are representations of physical objects in a plant.  Assets represent the functional object (building, boiler, turbine) while Discrete Assets represent the specific object (Motor #1234) that is performing the function at any given time.

Features:

• Customizable Hierarchy - Assets can be arranged in a “tree” style hierarchy, with properties inheritable from “parent” to “child” assets.

  

• Defined Asset Types and Properties - Each asset type includes a customizable properties list. Each property includes a list of attributes including data type, value, and engineering units. Assets are assigned a type, which provides it with the defined properties list.

  

• Contextualized Asset Type Displays - Displays can be built containing Asset properties, then contextualized based on any Asset of the applicable type. For instance, build a trend for displaying a control loop’s Mode, Output, and Process Value (PV), then choose the desired control loop asset for which to display data.

  

• Asset Property Values - The value attribute for each asset property can be set to a constant, a dataPARC tag value, or a calculation result.

  

• Quick Access to Asset Info. - The right-click menu from Trend’s tag grid provides the ability to identify an Asset associated with a tag and quickly trend all the Asset’s properties.

  

Asset Manager Use Case Examples:

• Pump

  • Example Properties:

    • Current Flow - value based on dataPARC tag for flowmeter

    • Uptime - value based on dataPARC tag aggregate for motor Start/Stop bit

    • Hours in Service - value based on totalizer calculation

    • Diameter - value based on user-entered numeric constant

    • Material of Construction - value based on user-entered text from pick-list

  • Child Assets (can be Discrete Assets with specific IDs):

    • Motor

    • Volute

    • Impeller

• Tank

  • Example Properties:

    • Diameter - value based on user-entered numeric constant

    • Height - value based on user-entered numeric constant

    • Volume Capacity - value based on calculation

    • Level - value based on dataPARC tag for level transmitter

    • Current Volume Inventory - value based on calculation

  • Child Assets

    • Level Control Loop

Process Areas

Purpose:

Process areas are intended to associate data with production processes and product types, production runs and time periods. This facilitates analysis and comparison of data from various production runs, work shifts, etc., and easily filter out periods when the process was shut down.

Features:

• Customizable Hierarchy - Process areas can be arranged in a “tree” style hierarchy. The top level should represent major production lines or plants, while sub-areas can represent unit operations or individual processes.

  

• Tag Assignments - Tags may be assigned to a process area. Once assigned, the process area filter can be applied to search in Tag Browser.

  

• Process Area Properties Configuration:

  • Alarm Causes - Specifies the initial reason tree display level when assigning reasons to alarms based on tags in this process area.

  • Rollup Server Averages - If running Rollup Server, various period averages can be calculated for all tags within the process area.

  • Defined Product Types (Grades) - Product types (a.k.a. grades) can be defined and assigned to a process area. A dataPARC tag value indicates the current product type, and aggregate rollups can be calculated for all tags assigned to the process area.

  • Defined Product Identifiers - Specific product identifiers (such as SKU numbers or batches) for each process area can be defined by a dataPARC tag value.

  • Downtime Filters - Process area downtime can be filtered from visualizations and analytics based on a filter tag’s value and criteria.

  • Logbook Event Reasons - Integrates alarm events with logbook for a specific process area.

  • Process Variables - When any tag in this process area is added to a trend, tags in this list will automatically be added to the trend in addition.

    

• Run Browser - Data can be displayed based on a Process Area’s defined periods and product types (grades) using PARCview’s Run Browser available for most display types.

  

Process Areas Use Case Examples:

• Paper Machine - Includes all tags from stock prep. to the reel

  • Grade is defined by a grade tag

  • Downtime filter is based on calculated tag incorporating sheet break indicator and reel speed

  • Rollups are based on grade runs, shifts and months

  • Product Identifiers are based on reel number tag

  • Sub-area examples:

    • Headbox

    • Wet End

    • Drying Section

• Crude Atmospheric Distillation Unit - Includes all tags associated with feed, heaters, recycle streams, and draws

  • Product Type is defined by crude type blend (e.g. 25% light/sweet, 75% light/sour)

  • Downtime filter is based on crude feed rate tag

  • Rollups are based on crude type blend runs, shifts, and days

  • Product identifiers are not utilized due to lack of discrete production units