HART device commissioning time can be reduced by up to 75%
Improved efficiency and safety through streamlined commissioning process
Schneider Electric has launched 'EcoStruxure Field Device Expert,' an application designed to enhance the performance of plant equipment.

EcoStruxure Field Device Expert improves how engineers commission, configure, and maintain field devices throughout the plant lifecycle. It is fully integrated into Schneider Electric's distributed control system, EcoStruxure Foxboro DCS, through an intelligent commissioning wizard. Therefore, it fully automates the detection, configuration, commissioning, and testing of HART field measurement equipment, and automatically binding and configuring HART devices reduces the commissioning schedule by more than 75%, which also has an impact on improving profitability.

"According to an EY report, about two-thirds of multi-billion dollar projects consistently exceed their original budgets, and 73% fail to meet project deadlines," said Hany Fouda, Vice President of Process Automation Management and Global Sales at Schneider Electric. "Field Device Expert can have an immediate impact on project returns by significantly improving production times through the automation of the commissioning process. Internal validation cases showed a return on investment of 96 days, which is equivalent to $24 million in additional production."

Traditional manual device commissioning methods are labor-intensive, error-prone, and time-consuming, as well as highly dependent on experts. Field Device Expert minimizes hardware dependency and custom engineering by automating the configuration and commissioning processes. Consequently, it significantly changes the way automation projects are executed, allowing for greater flexibility in design, timing, and the sequence of activities.

In other words, while configuring each asset using conventional commissioning methods takes up to 50 minutes, using Field Device Expert's intelligent commissioning wizard reduces this by 70% to 15 minutes. Field Device Expert facilitates continuous field device configuration and status monitoring throughout the plant lifecycle. This means that restarting the equipment after maintenance periods or shutdowns becomes faster and easier.

In addition, Field Device Expert includes the following new features.

It can be utilized in EcoStruxure Maintenance Advisor, which supports predictive maintenance and decision-making through available data to shorten configuration time and reduce human error.

▲ Intelligent Commissioning Wizard: Reduces production time and minimizes the work and time required for commissioning. Using the Intelligent Commissioning Wizard allows engineers to commission equipment 24/7 without incurring overtime costs.

▲ Device Replacement Wizard: By automating HART device replacement tasks individually or in batches, you can significantly save time and reduce reliance on experts. Even when replacing a device with one that is not identical to the existing one, the software automatically executes the replacement, greatly reducing downtime.

▲ Single Information Repository: Enhances safety and security by eliminating costly errors. Information generated at each stage of device management is stored in a single database and available throughout the device's lifespan. This integrated database eliminates the issues of redundancy and inconsistency typically found in standalone distributed control systems and asset databases. Furthermore, it provides a single integrated backup, requiring no additional work.

▲ Access Rights: Access rights for safety-related devices comply with the universal industrial standard IEC61511-1. This industry standard is intended to establish best practices in system engineering to ensure the safety of industrial processes using the equipment.

▲ Bundled HART Device Description Library: Deploy devices more quickly and resolve version mismatch issues. Documents from the HART Consortium web page can be moved to the system to eliminate previously occurring cybersecurity risks. Additionally, since engineers no longer need to search for files, users do not need to look for and download files from the internet.

▲ FDT 2.0 compliant frame: Utilizes the latest technology (NET over ActiveX/COM) and supports digital signatures to prevent tampering.

▲ Interoperability: The system can be used regardless of device, vendor, or protocol. Through Foxboro DCS's interoperability and full bus compatibility, the system adapts to the user's choice, allowing the user to maintain their configuration.

▲ Advanced Diagnostic Support: Advanced Diagnostic Support for the Vendor-Integrated Device Type Manager (DTM) allows maintenance technicians to access advanced diagnostics specifically created by vendors for devices of concern. The Field Device Tool (FDT)/Device Type Manager provides a flexible user interface, rich graphics, and comprehensive diagnostics for field devices as well as complex devices such as positioners.

Vice President Pouda said, “We are striving to help customers get more value from their investments in asset and process automation.” “Our goal is to help customers conduct safe digital operations so they can gain control over all critical business variables—safety, security, efficiency, reliability, and, most importantly, profitability,” he stated. “Field Device Expert and Intelligent Commissioning Wizard are the best examples of how Schneider Electric supports customers in transforming process automation systems and solutions into revenue engines for their businesses.”