Importance of Traceability

In rubber compound production facilities, compounds are manufactured using specialized recipes tailored to specific applications and clients. These recipes represent the client's proprietary know-how. For instance, in the automotive sector, the quality of tires produced by a manufacturer depends heavily on the quality of the rubber compound sourced from such facilities. Therefore, how these compounds are produced, the production processes, and the recipe contents are critically important. At this point, the necessity for the production process to be traceable becomes crucial. For such processes, the preparation of reports, creation of customer-specific recipes, and their direction and management within the process fall under the responsibilities of SCADA software.

About the Project

The production facility was established at DRC Kauçuk's Karaçam campus by our integrator, ISP Group, in 2023. The facility's automation system utilizes the Allen-Bradley Logix 5000 series PLC.

Traditionally, facilities of this type employ local HMI and SCADA software for specific sections of the machine park to manage the process. Operators use independent HMI and SCADA applications to oversee the process. However, thanks to inSCADA, a different approach was adopted at this facility. The inSCADA platform was installed on a virtual server within the facility and connected to all networked PLCs. The mimic screens required by operators were made available on industrial panel PCs, providing seamless access to the necessary HMI screens through the inSCADA application.

 

Advantages of Deploying inSCADA on a Virtual Server

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Centralized Management and Development

The inSCADA platform installed on a virtual server serves as a single access point for developing applications required for monitoring, controlling, and reporting in the facility. The development and adjustment of control and monitoring screens used in various parts of the facility for different purposes can be managed centrally. This centralization greatly enhances the comfort and efficiency of the development process. Without this, separate applications would need to be developed and deployed for each point of the machine park, increasing complexity.

Sustainability and Redundancy

Backing up the application running on the inSCADA platform and the data it collects in one centralized location on the facility's servers enables the IT department to manage the system more securely and conveniently. In contrast, traditional methods require backups for each individual SCADA and HMI application. Additionally, the failure of any distributed hardware running the application in traditional setups increases the risk of production losses due to the need for manual restoration from backups.

Security

Hosting the system on virtual servers enhances its manageability by the IT department, allowing experts to address potential vulnerabilities proactively and implement necessary security measures effectively.

Conclusion

Ensuring that a system operating at the OT layer is manageable by the IT layer is vital for the sustainability of the business. The inSCADA platform successfully bridges this gap, providing a robust, secure, and efficient solution tailored to the facility's needs.