CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
14 September 2004
Product News
Intergraph Process, Power & Marine Announces SmartPlant Instrumentation; New Product Name, Expanded Lifecycle Functionality Address Plant Engineering Needs
The Process, Power & Marine division of Intergraph Corporation announced SmartPlant® Instrumentation 7.0 at the APEX Summit global conference. Previously marketed as INtools®, the 7.0 version of the renamed software provides significant user interface improvements such as tree view navigation and flexible plant hierarchy, as well as new features including object-based wiring equipment, unified licensing control, connectivity with Fluke multifunction process calibrators and support for PROFIBUS and HART protocol instruments. The new features combine to provide additional plant downtime reduction potential, productivity gains and greater instrumentation data accuracy and consistency. Architecture improvements enable users to more fully take advantage of data-centric SmartPlant technology and its lifecycle engineering integration capabilities including both plant operation and design. Planned availability of SmartPlant Instrumentation ( http://ppm.intergraph.com/intools ) is first quarter 2005.
The renamed product reflects Intergraph's continuing investment in SmartPlant technology and its use in SmartPlant Instrumentation, such as The Engineering Framework integration, Enhanced SmartLoop, easily navigable plant hierarchy display and SmartPlant suite code compatibility. The SmartPlant Instrumentation product name also reflects the market achievements of INtools combined with the brand recognition of SmartPlant. Intergraph acquired INtools in 1999 and the software has since become a de facto market standard and key growth product for Intergraph. SmartPlant Instrumentation, powered by INtools, continues to answer the instrumentation engineering, design and lifecycle plant operations requirements of plant owner-operators and engineering firms worldwide.
New Features Address Global Engineering Requirements
Consistent with the intuitively-navigable tree view of SmartPlant P&ID and SmartPlant Electrical, the 7.0 version enables users to quickly navigate to items of interest in the plant or project. The flexible plant hierarchy provides customizable, extended levels to better meet company standards and work practice needs in various industries including power and pharmaceuticals. The hierarchy also addresses physical location, such as cabinet, rack or room defined by tag, plant coordinate or other identifier.
To reduce administrative costs, SmartPlant Instrumentation features unified licensing. A single PDS® (Plant Design System) "PD_LICE" server manages usage of both SmartPlant and PDS applications.
In addition to existing FOUNDATION Fieldbus and analog systems, SmartPlant Instrumentation now supports the PROFIBUS and HART field communication protocols to accommodate a wider range of instrumentation configurations for increased flexibility. For example, HART support includes device parameterization, calibration, diagnostics, maximum nodes and cable lengths and other protocol-specific hardware and network attributes.
Additional, new features include more loop functions, such as drag-and-drop loop creation and functional loop definitions. Non-instrument specifications enable engineers to generate spec sheets for cable type, panel, hookup, wiring equipment and other items. SmartPlant Instrumentation handles relays, interface cards, terminal strips and other items as objects which are countable, built as typical and shown with associated symbols on the loop display. The software graphically displays instrument rack configurations with components and connections to enhance work practice flexibility.
Interfaces with Fluke Multifunction Process Calibrators
The new Fluke interface in SmartPlant Instrumentation enables the software to communicate with field calibration devices including Fluke multifunction 743B and 744 Documenting Process Calibrators. Maintenance personnel can upload or download calibration data, including as-found, as-left and other key instrument information, to and from SmartPlant Instrumentation. The Fluke interface eliminates time-consuming and error-prone manual transcription to promote accuracy, data completeness and maintenance efficiency. The Fluke connectivity joins the growing list of popular products and systems interfaced with SmartPlant Instrumentation, including Yokogawa CENTUM CS 3000 R3 and Emerson DeltaV distributed control systems.
About SmartPlant Instrumentation
SmartPlant Instrumentation ( http://ppm.intergraph.com/ppm/intools ) is comprehensive, lifecycle software for instrumentation systems engineering, design and maintenance. Powered by INtools®, the software provides 10 standard, integrated modules for instrument indexes, calibration and maintenance, specifications, process data, calculation, wiring, loop drawings, hook-ups and commissioning, plus two separately purchasable add-ons: Dimensional Data for Piping and Telecommunication. Automatically-generated, CAD-free loop diagrams enable personnel to review, modify or create schematics for use in routine operations or design tasks.
Using The Engineering Framework (TEF), the enterprise-wide engineering integration architecture, the TEF-enabled SmartPlant Instrumentation communicates with both up and downstream engineering tasks across SmartPlant applications including SmartPlant 3D, SmartPlant Electrical and SmartPlant P&ID.
SmartPlant Instrumentation features a straightforward interface that reduces training needs, increases productivity and provides design and consistency checks that cut errors. The first and only commercial instrumentation engineering software that supports fieldbus, plant telecom and in-line instrument integrated 3D modeling, SmartPlant Instrumentation uses Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server 2000, or Sybase Adaptive Server Anywhere databases on Microsoft Windows 2000 and XP operating systems.
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