New to OpreX: Open Automation and OPC UA Upgrades From Yokogawa

Yokogawa Electric Corporation has introduced the Open Automation SI Kit and an OPC UA management package for the OpreX platform, providing companies with configuration and application portability and interoperability from different suppliers that have devices that are O-PAS compliant.

Welcome to the World of Open Process Automation!

In most industrial facilities, various proprietary systems manage production, distribution, manufacturing execution, control systems, human-machine interfaces, etc. Integrating these systems can be time-consuming and increase operating costs due to their proprietary nature. The Open Process Automation™ Forum (OPAF) was established to address this issue and has developed the O-PAS (the Open Process Automation Standard), which facilitates the implementation of next-generation process control systems leveraging the latest in IT/OT technologies and enhanced cybersecurity. Field tests for operating plant equipment using this standard are already underway.

What is OpreX?

OpreX is the industrial automation and control brand of Yokogawa Electric Corporation, encompassing the following OpreX products: Transformation, Control, Measurement, OpreX Execution, and Lifecycle.

Under the OpreX Control and Safety categories, Yokogawa recently introduced the OpreX Open Automation SI kit and the OpreX OPC UA Management Package. These offerings enable companies to enhance management, operation, and control technologies, thereby improving efficiency, quality, safety, and overall plant operations.

An open format for control automation technologies is designed to establish an environment in which diverse hardware and software elements from various suppliers can be smoothly incorporated. To enable this integration, Open Process Automation (OPA) systems necessitate adherence to O-PAS standards by devices and applications. This includes the ability for proprietary systems to function as distributed control nodes (DCNs) and the incorporation of management for applications based on OPC UA.

It's worth noting that OPC UA is widely acknowledged as a communication standard for Industry 4.0, boasting enhanced security standards and scalability without being reliant on specific hardware or operating systems.

Yokogawa demonstrates how their software products support the OPA Framework. Image used courtesy of Yokogawa Electric Corporation

OpreX Control and Safety

This is where Yokogawa Electric Corporation steps in. Yokogawa has been a proactive member of the Open Process Automation Forum and has developed a suite of tools, services, and core software for building an OPA system. Under their OpreX Control and Safety System family Yokogawa developed the Oprex Open Automation SI kit and the OpreX OPC UA Management package.

The OpreX Open Automation SI kit simplifies the configuration of DCN components and supports the O-PAS model by creating the necessary data structures and functionality. The OpreX OPC UA Management package provides services for managing OPC UA-based applications, including communication authentication to ensure system security, alias name resolution for tag names, and the management of alarm parameter settings.

The system integration kit and software package will be integrated into OPA system components, including open PLCs and industrial PCs, to enable them to operate as O-PAS DCNs. Yokogawa, in its role as the OPA System Integrator, will utilize this software and system management tools to deliver customers open, highly interoperable, and secure O-PAS process control systems. These control systems will incorporate hardware and software components from diverse suppliers.

Featured image (modified) used courtesy of Adobe Stock