EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE INTEGRATION OF CONTROL SYSTEMS

In today’s society, manufacturers are constantly advancing to stay on top of technology trends and work as smart and efficiently as possible. To stay ahead of the game, it is important that all systems in a plant are working together harmoniously.

For this to be accomplished, control systems should be integrated, meaning that integration engineers combine hardware and software from multiple suppliers into a single solution. Since system integrators are a separate entity from your company, they take care of the important measures for you to reduce overall costs, improve quality and reliability of the integration project, increase productivity and keep the company up-to-date with technology and hardware trends.

Control system integration provides control, automation and information solutions for manufacturers. Knowing these benefits and how integration works is important for taking the proper steps in your manufacturing processes. Here is everything you need to know about the integration of control systems and what it can do for you:

Integration creates a central control center.
Controlling a system within a plant happens in working parts. Once integration occurs and all systems are functioning in sync, there becomes a master interface in which someone can control everything from one place. While a head supervisor may have complete control over the main operating system, other workers may be given remote access to specific controls within the system.

Integrating all the moving parts allows manufacturers to have access to their entire plant or project in one place. This level of control provides manufacturers with the ability to catch anything that may go wrong and eliminate any downtime that may come from different systems working against each other, boosting efficiency.

Automation maximizes productivity.
It’s inevitable that technology will malfunction somewhere down the line. Integrated control systems need to be supervised to ensure ongoing functionality and productivity. With today’s technological advancements, proper monitoring can be achieved through automated computer programs.

With automation, every individual piece of the system can be constantly watched without fail. While manufacturers control the way the system operates, it would be impossible for them to catch every bug and glitch in the programming. Automated computer programs are much more efficient and boost productivity by consistent monitoring and quickly picking up on any issues that may arise.

Control system integration brings information and new solutions to the table.
There is a lot of data and information that goes into system integration. Accurate data collection is the life behind an efficient, high-performing system. It also needs to be distributed through the proper network of channels in order for the information to be accessible.

The importance of this data speaks to the role of the integrators and what they can provide for your company. The engineers behind system integration take into account safety standards, environmental technology and modernization. Examples of these include new networks, cyber security and interoperability of equipment. Manufacturers can rely on integrators to have continuous updates on process and machine safety, international programming standards, networks for artificial intelligence and more. Through all of the provided information, your company can remain on top of trends and standards while maintaining a strong, productive core.

Want to learn more about integrating control systems?
We’d love to help you out. Give us a call at 1.800.333.7519 or contact us to speak with an ACI representative today.