ABB has announced the newest version of its Knowledge Manager (KM) software, following direct customer feedback from several worldwide pilot installations of the technology.
ABB Ability™ Knowledge Manager 9.1 offers new features to improve usability and engineering capabilities for mining and cement customers, according to the company.
Eduardo Lima, Global Product Manager Digital Mining and Cement at ABB, said: “This version of ABB Ability Knowledge Manager is a great example for how we collaborate closely with our customers to design and improve the solutions they need for their operations.”
Older KM installations can be upgraded to this new version, which further builds upon the improvements started in its previous 9.0 version, and now includes visually improved dashboards. Outdated chart technologies are continuously being replaced with a variety of newer ones that are based on HTML5, providing more interactive functions and better performance.
The new version also supports engineering based on standard ISA-95 equipment model and provides engineering synchronisation with other ABB solutions, such as ABB Ability™ AssetVista, for easier integration. New data collection mechanisms using the OPC UA standard are now also available, enabling simpler and more secure integration with other systems and solutions.
ABB said: “Information management and transparency across operations is key for users at all plant levels. There is a particular need at companies with multiple plants to understand why these are operating at different performance levels. An integrated information management system, such as ABB Ability Knowledge Manager, allows sharing knowledge across sites in the organisation.”
KM provides analytical insight to identify best practices and improve overall operation at the plant and at corporate levels, according to the company. The system incorporates leading-edge digital capabilities and technology, providing mining and cement industry customers with the ability to view, analyse, and act upon critical data, ABB says.
Integrated with the ABB Ability™ System 800xA process control system and its extensive Minerals Library, Knowledge Manager includes an easy-to-use mobile interface, so operators can access process performance information at any time from any location. The new version also includes functions to create, view, and share reports, charts, and trend analysis, and improvements to navigation and information storage.
The company concluded: “Knowledge Manager simplifies production management by enabling performance monitoring, downtime management and maintenance support, as well as providing statistical production analysis tools. It provides solutions and advanced tools to facilitate the collection, consolidation and distribution of production, quality and energy information via web-based dashboards, reports, trends, and graphs.”