Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation, has announced the launch of PlantStruxure PES V4.2, integrating new hardware with capabilities from the company’s award-winning Modicon M580 ePAC family “to strengthen the company’s automation portfolio” in the mining, minerals and metals and other industries.
Built for Industrial Internet of Things applications, the addition of Modicon M580 redundant controllers “delivers industry-leading plant and asset availability for critical continuous process operations, helping to improve overall business performance.”
Today, 50% of PlantStruxure PES projects require at least one pair of redundant controllers within the configuration. PES V4.2 meets the next generation of requirements with the M580 ePAC and the ability to lock down ports within a single configuration environment. “With the highest levels of cybersecurity available on the market, PES V4.2 ensures nearly 100% uptime for customer systems.
“As IT and OT converge, we need solutions that boost plant connectivity and security,” said Chris Lyden, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Schneider Electric’s Process Automation business. “PlantStruxure PES enhances the ability of plant operators, engineers and managers to take better advantage of process and energy management data, which better enables them to improve maintenance, increase asset reliability and uncover additional operational efficiencies, all in a more secure environment. By making our PlantStruxure PES automation system secure and future proof by design, we are meeting the needs of tomorrow’s production facilities, today.”
A core feature of the Modicon M580 ePAC is its Ethernet-based architecture. Integration into the PES solution improves system management and provides customers with a level of standard communication, guaranteeing a future-proof system. Additionally, new services will be available for engineering and commissioning, which will make navigating a control program easier, as well as improve performance when making project changes. PlantStruxure PES V4.2 is also equipped with ready-to-use application and industry libraries, allowing systems to be built more quickly and with lower engineering costs. And by integrating energy-management features from other Schneider Electric automation and power devices, such as Altivar drives, the system will help users realise higher energy cost savings.