Tag Archives: EcoStruxure

Schneider Electric and Intel to combine software and hardware expertise in DCN offering

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At the ARC Forum Orlando, Schneider Electric has announced a collaboration with Intel to extend EcoStruxure™ Automation Expert by creating a Distributed Control Node (DCN) software framework complemented by an associated Intel processor-based DCN hardware offering for industrial users such as mines.

EcoStruxure is the company’s “open, interoperable, IoT-enabled system architecture and platform”, geared geared towards improving safety, reliability, efficiency, sustainability. It uses advancements in IoT, mobility, sensing, cloud, analytics, and cybersecurity to deliver various forms of innovation. It is used in the mining industry for, among other things, fuel management, truck maintenance, material handling, process automation and control, and environmental management.

By combining the performance, security and deployment capabilities of Intel Edge Controls for Industrial (ECI) technology with EcoStruxure Automation Expert, the DCN framework can simplify and speed the development of software defined control systems, according to Schneider Electric. Additionally, the DCN will enable EcoStruxure Automation Expert – the world’s first software-centric automation system – to scale faster and further in process industries, including energy and chemicals, mining, water/wastewater, pharmaceuticals and hybrid markets.

This DCN development will be based on Universal Automation (UniversalAutomation.org), an organisation that manages the implementation of a shared source runtime based on the IEC61499 standard. EcoStruxure Automation Expert represents the first of a new era of automation software based on this shared runtime.

Advances in machine learning, real-time analytics and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) hold massive promise for industrial enterprises and manufacturers, Schneider explained. However, the industry has suffered from the lack of a future-proof solution that can be easily upgraded to keep systems running at optimal performance.

A fundament feature of EcoStruxure Automation Expert is the ability to decouple software from hardware. This allows hardware to be upgraded as required to improve system performance while the application remains the same, thereby protecting the customer’s intellectual property and investments. The joint effort between Schneider Electric and Intel illustrates the industry’s transition from fixed-function hardware to software-defined, flexible, plug and produce solutions that deliver customers greater operational effectiveness, Schneider said.

“This is the direction for process automation,” Natalie Marcotte, SVP and President, Process Automation, Schneider Electric, said. “To fully realise the potential of next-generation industries, we must embrace a collaborative way of thinking. This collaboration with Intel greatly enhances the capabilities of EcoStruxure Automation Expert, enabling the platform to scale faster and further. To create a new wave of innovation, we must work with all parties to create a more modular software-defined industry.”

Christine Boles, VP, Network & Edge Group, General Manager, Industrial Solutions Division, Intel Corporation, added: “Software-defined systems that bring together the worlds of OT and IT are the future of process automation. The ability to mix and match leading software and hardware will allow customers to innovate quickly while still enjoying the operation performance they demand. Working with Schneider Electric in such a collaborative way, utilising Intel’s industrial specific processors and software, allows us to move quickly to develop and deliver new solutions that bring together innovative technologies that help customers achieve the benefits of Industry 4.0.”

Rio Tinto and Schneider Electric partner on decarbonisation initiatives

Automation, Base metals, Energy minerals, Environmental, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rio Tinto and Schneider Electric have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a “first-of-its-kind” collaboration to develop a circular and sustainable market ecosystem for both companies and their customers.

This multi-product partnership will see Schneider Electric use responsibly-sourced materials produced by Rio Tinto. These include low-carbon aluminium and copper produced with renewable power, iron ore and borates. Rio Tinto will, in turn, use energy and industrial services from Schneider Electric, as the companies work together to develop digital platforms, technologies and solutions to be deployed across the metals and mining supply chain to drive further decarbonisation, they said.

Rio Tinto Chief Commercial Officer, Alf Barrios, said: “This unique partnership will help accelerate decarbonisation and renewable energy solutions by combining low-carbon materials with cutting-edge digital technology. Working together will allow Rio Tinto and Schneider Electric to pursue opportunities beyond what is possible for either company on its own.

“This collaboration also opens doors to consider strategic initiatives such as expanding the use of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to reduce downtime in our plants, digitisation of our supply chains, and a host of other transformative technologies.”

Schneider Electric Executive Vice-President Industrial Automation, Barbara Frei, said: “We are excited to work with Rio Tinto to develop clean and pioneering solutions to meet industrial decarbonisation challenges. As the world’s most sustainable corporation and a manufacturer with a global network of smart factories and smart distribution centres, Schneider Electric is on a mission to make industries of the future eco-efficient, agile, and resilient through open, software-centric industrial automation and sustainable energy solutions. This new partnership demonstrates that Rio Tinto is as passionate as we are about bridging progress and sustainability for all.”

The partnership will draw on Schneider Electric’s Energy as a Service expertise to evaluate the use of innovative solutions, including microgrids, to supply energy from low-carbon sources, and artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to help meet sustainability goals at Rio Tinto sites and throughout its supply chain.

Rio Tinto’s START traceability and transparency initiative, the first sustainability label for aluminium using blockchain technology, will be deployed with Schneider Electric to unlock value for customers, suppliers and partners, it said. The companies will work to expand this transparency, offering START in combination with Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ platform, an IoT system architecture that connects everything in an enterprise to deliver enhanced safety, reliability, efficiency and sustainability.

The companies will also partner to evaluate emerging innovation opportunities, such as the efficient production of critical materials for renewable technologies and advances in low-carbon, green steel manufacturing, both of which will play a significant long-term role in industrial decarbonisation.

Alderon Iron Ore and Schneider Electric working on ‘fully digital advanced mine’

IoT, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining project news, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Alderon Iron Ore and the Kami Mine Limited Partnership (The Kami LP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Schneider Electric Canada related to the both acquisition of equipment and development funding for the Kami iron ore project, in western Labrador, Canada.

Tayfun Eldem, Alderon’s President and CEO, said: “We have chosen Schneider Electric because of their vast array of product and service offerings in power and energy management, process control and mine digitisation. The Kami LP will leverage Schneider Electric’s sustainable solutions to optimise energy usage and operating costs for the Kami project’s mining and processing operations.”

Eldem said this partnership could potentially reduce capital spending and equipment cost targets from its September 2018 updated feasibility study, tap into a broader range of export credit agencies (ECA) and accelerate the project schedule.

The September 2018 feasibility study envisaged a capital cost of $982.41 million for an operation producing 7.84 Mt/y of 65.2% Fe concentrate at an average estimated operating cost of $30.72/t. it also envisaged a 26 month construction period.

Alderon said the MoU provides for The Kami LP to evaluate the lease or purchase of equipment from Schneider Electric for use at Kami, a project owned 75% by Alderon and 25% by HBIS Group through The Kami LP.

It also provides for Schneider Electric to assist The Kami LP in its capital raising efforts by making introductions and facilitating discussions with potential financing sources for the Kami project, including funding from ECAs in regions where Schneider Electric manufactures its equipment.

“This assistance is expected to help The Kami LP raise the capital required to start construction of the Kami project,” Alderon said.

David Willick, Schneider Electric’s Vice President and Mining, Metals and Minerals Segment Leader in North America, said: “We are pleased to be a part of the Kami project and look forward to helping Alderon create an efficient and fully digital advanced mine, using our EcoStruxure architecture.”

The EcoStruxure platform is the “digital backbone connecting best-in-class operational technology solutions with the latest in IT technology to unlock trapped value in your operations and tap into the true potential of the Internet of Things”, Schneider says.

The Kami LP and Schneider Electric need to enter into definitive documentation in order for the transactions set out in the MoU to proceed, including agreements for the purchase of equipment.