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Virtual commissioningvalidate the plant on a modelPLC programmingTIA, TwinCAT, CodeSysRobot programmingKUKA, ABB, FANUC, URFunctional safetysafe stop, guardingElectrical designdiagram and control cabinetOn-site commissioningstart-up at the real plantBuildings and processesbuilding and process automationTechnical project managementcoordinate teams and versionsMaterial flow simulationthroughput and cycle timeTrainingtrain staff on the modelOpen overviewVirtual commissioning FAQTerms in automation & virtual commissioning
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Terms in Automation & virtual commissioning

The entries explain technical terms from automation and virtual commissioning and lead to the service in which they occur.

B

BACnetBuilding Automation and Control Networks
Communication protocol of building automation according to ISO 16484-5 for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and access. Building and process automation
Behaviour model
Model that describes how a component reacts to signals: cylinders extend, conveyors move, sensors switch. It forms the basis of virtual commissioning. Virtual Commissioning
BMSBuilding management system
Higher-level software that monitors, operates and evaluates the technical systems of a building. Building and process automation

C

CE marking
Mark with which the manufacturer declares that a product meets the applicable EU requirements. For machinery it requires, among other things, a risk assessment. Functional safety
Circuit diagram
Drawing that shows the electrical connection of devices, terminals and cables of a plant. Electrical design
CODESYSController Development System
Vendor-independent development environment for control programs according to IEC 61131-3 that runs on devices from many manufacturers. PLC programming
Control cabinet
Enclosure in which the controller, power supply, protective devices and terminals of a machine are mounted and wired. Electrical design
Cycle time
Time in which a station or plant completes one part and takes over the next. Material flow simulation

D

Digital twin
Digital image of a plant, a machine or a product with geometry, behaviour and data. It accompanies the object through planning, operation and conversion. Automation & Virtual Commissioning
Discrete-event simulation
Simulation method that updates the state of a system at the moments of its events, for example when a part arrives or leaves. Material flow simulation

E

Emulation
Reproduction of a plant component that the controller addresses like the real device. Virtual Commissioning
EPLAN
Software for electrical design in which circuit diagrams, terminal diagrams and parts lists for control cabinets are created. Electrical design
EtherCATEthernet for Control Automation Technology
Real-time Ethernet fieldbus in which one telegram serves all nodes as it passes through. Industrial protocols

F

FATFactory acceptance test
Acceptance test of a plant at the manufacturer before it is delivered to the customer. Commissioning on site
Fieldbus
Bus system that connects field devices such as sensors and actuators to the controller. Industrial protocols
Functional safety
Part of machine safety that makes control functions bring about a safe state in the event of a fault, for example at an emergency stop. Functional safety
Functional specification
Document of the contractor that describes how and with what the requirements of the requirements specification are implemented. Technical project management

H

HiLHardware in the loop
Test set-up in which the real controller is connected to a simulation model that reproduces the sensors and actuators of the plant in real time. Virtual Commissioning
HMIHuman machine interface
Operator interface of a machine where staff read states, set parameters and acknowledge faults. PLC programming

I

I/O checkInput and output check
Commissioning step in which every sensor and actuator is checked against the controller for address, signal and direction. Commissioning on site
IEC 61131-3
International standard for the programming languages of controllers, among them Structured Text, Ladder Diagram and Function Block Diagram. PLC programming

K

KNX
Open standard of building automation through which lighting, blinds, heating and sensors of a building communicate. Building and process automation

M

Machine vision
Analysis of camera images, for example to check components for dimensions, completeness or surface defects. AI in automation
Material flow simulation
Simulation that calculates throughput, buffers and bottlenecks of a production or warehouse before the investment. Material flow simulation

O

Offline programming
Robot programs are created on the computer in a simulation environment while the real plant keeps producing or is not yet built. Robot programming

P

PLPerformance level
Measure according to ISO 13849-1 for the reliability of a safety function, in five levels from a to e. Functional safety
PLCProgrammable logic controller
Industrial controller that reads signals from sensors, processes a program cyclically and switches drives, valves and indicators. PLC programming
PROFINETProcess Field Network
Industrial Ethernet protocol for real-time exchange between controllers and field devices. Industrial protocols

R

Requirements specification
Document in which the client describes the requirements for a project. The contractor answers it with the functional specification. Technical project management
Risk assessment
Procedure according to ISO 12100 that identifies and evaluates the hazards of a machine and defines the protective measures. Functional safety
Robot cell
Enclosed work area with one or more industrial robots, workpiece feeding and safeguards. Robot programming

S

SATSite acceptance test
Acceptance test of a plant after installation and commissioning at the customer's site. Commissioning on site
SiLSoftware in the loop
Test set-up in which the control software runs on the computer and is tested against the plant model. Virtual Commissioning
SILSafety integrity level
Level of safety integrity according to IEC 61508 and IEC 62061. It ranges from SIL 1 to SIL 4 and states the required reliability of a safety function. Functional safety
SimReQs
Simulation platform of IQstruct Engineering as a Unity plug-in for virtual commissioning. Virtual Commissioning

T

TIA PortalTotally Integrated Automation Portal
Engineering environment from Siemens for programming, configuring and diagnosing SIMATIC controllers and operator panels. PLC programming
TwinCATThe Windows Control and Automation Technology
Automation software from Beckhoff that turns an industrial PC into a controller and runs programs according to IEC 61131-3. PLC programming

V

VCVirtual commissioning
The real control software is tested on a simulation model of the plant before the plant is built. Errors in sequence and interlocking show up on the computer. Virtual Commissioning