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Reducing Errors in Engi­neering With Auto­mated Inte­gra­tion

The Chal­lenge
We tackled

Previ­ously, sensor data had to be manu­ally trans­ferred from multiple sources (PDFs, Excel files, manu­fac­turer cata­logs) into the process control system. This process was time-consuming, error-prone, and required numerous inter­me­diate steps. By using a central­ized digital data source with pre-inte­grated sensor infor­ma­tion, engi­neers can auto­mat­i­cally import and deploy sensors into the control system with minimal effort, signif­i­cantly reducing manual work and errors.

Who was
Partic­i­pating?

Why this project
matters and for who

For plant builders, oper­a­tors, and system inte­gra­tors, this approach signif­i­cantly reduces engi­neering time and costs by elim­i­nating manual data handling and simpli­fying setup processes. Stan­dard­ized, machine-read­able data lowers the risk of errors and ensures more reli­able system config­u­ra­tion. At the same time, it makes inte­grating new devices into existing envi­ron­ments much easier, enabling faster commis­sioning and smoother oper­a­tions. By supporting inter­op­er­able, digital-ready archi­tec­tures, it also aligns with Industry 4.0 require­ments and helps compa­nies move from isolated solu­tions to scal­able, connected systems.

What we’ve
achieved

We made sensor inte­gra­tion into control systems much more straight­for­ward by removing manual steps and using struc­tured data throughout the process. Instead of trans­fer­ring and config­uring every­thing by hand, sensors can now be brought into the system faster, with consis­tent setup and fewer errors.

How exactly did we do that?

  • Sensor infor­ma­tion directly imported into the control system
  • Auto­matic gener­a­tion of face­plates, menus, and device config­u­ra­tions
  • Reduced engi­neering time by elim­i­nating manual data transfer
  • Avoid­ance of errors through removal of redun­dant data entry
  • Plug-and-play inte­gra­tion compa­rable to the MTP approach
green plant beside white desk

what we
learned

  • Stan­dard­ized, machine-read­able data formats (AAS) are key to increasing effi­ciency
  • Plug-and-play approaches not only reduce effort but also improve data quality
  • The bene­fits grow with the number of devices provided in an AAS-compat­ible way
  • Early involve­ment of manu­fac­turers in the data provi­sioning process is crucial

curious To
learn more?

If you are looking to reduce engi­neering effort, elim­i­nate manual data handling, and make your control system setup more scal­able and reli­able, get in touch with the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance. We bring together tech­nology providers, system inte­gra­tors, and indus­trial users to work on prac­tical solu­tions and real imple­men­ta­tions. Join us to explore how you can apply this approach in your envi­ron­ment and collab­o­rate on upcoming projects.

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