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PR 6018

YOKOGAWA'S PIMS EXAQUANTUM IS EXTENDED AS WORLD'S FIRST OPC BATCH PROCESS CONTROL AT ISA EXPO2003

Yokogawa debuted its latest Exaquantum PIMS release at ISA Expo2003 in Houston 21-23 October. Exaquantum/Batch is the world's first OPC (open standards) batch-based application.

Exaquantum/Batch, the newest addition to Yokogawa's proven Exaquantum PIMS software range, is a new product specifically designed for the batch production industry. Exaquantum's technology is field proven and serves as the foundation of over 200 operational information/optimization implementations worldwide. It builds on Yokogawa's experience with OPC in the continuous process industries. Exaquantum/Batch allows Yokogawa to bring the advantages of open standards and productivity improvement tools to a new industry sector.

Exaquantum/Batch provides 'out of the box' functionality, many unique features for batch reporting, and analysis which delivers tangible benefits and low total cost of ownership.

Exaquantum/Batch is a high performance and intelligent S88-based information system, particularly appropriate for the chemicals and pharmaceutical industries. It provides analysis and reporting facilities, collecting, storing and displaying current and historical data from batch production, equipment and recipe sources. This facilitates user access to batch information for decision support, production planning, production scheduling, analysis, process improvement, quality, and legislative compliance.

Business benefits include reduced time-to-market, minimized set-up time, increased productivity and plant utilization, reduced material/feedstock costs, data-based decision making, fast data analysis and reporting, and quick batch approval.

The Yokogawa Exaquantum/Batch suite is an extension to the Exaquantum Plant Information Management System (PIMS), which provides user-contextual long-term, time-lined collection and analysis of data from automated control systems. It does this by providing a link from production level systems, such as Yokogawa's CS1000/CS3000 Batch control systems, into enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manufacturing resource planning (MRP) systems to create enterprise wide solutions.

Batch industries

Exaquantum/Batch is designed for batch-oriented industries, providing real-time access to key performance indicators (KPIs). It provides a web browser based analysis and reporting user interface to deliver valuable batch-based information in support of process improvement initiatives.

Interface with OPC enabled control systems

Open standards have been a core value for Yokogawa since inception and field proven interfaces are available for many control systems using OPC. The ISA-88 standard design allows users to quickly find and understand batch data. The data is stored and presented so anyone familiar with ISA-88 will find it easy to use. The OPC Batch connectivity allows tight coupling with Yokogawa CS3000 Batch DCS.

This type of event driven, open connection eliminates the engineering required to get other systems to collect and store data. Exaquantum/Batch is a true batch PIMS that follows ISA-88's data models and terminology. The innovative OPC Batch architecture provides lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) than any existing product.

Production improvement by Six Sigma analysis

The system analyses cycle time variance and quality as batch KPIs to identify problems in the production process, enabling continuous improvement and management by variance and/or exception.

Comprehensive reporting tool

The comprehensive Exaquantum/Batch reporting package provides Excel-based flexible reporting, incorporating data from batches, equipment, master recipes and trend values along with associated alarms and events. The powerful reporting facilities meet the needs of regulated industries. Standard reports include automatic generation of like-batch, unit recipe cycle time charts and unit utilization percentages, with no user programming required.

Data collection

Automatic batch data collection is available when Exaquantum/ Batch PIMS is used with a Yokogawa CS1000/CS3000. Custom batch data collection is applied when the program is used with systems from any other OPC Data Access 2.0 enabled control or MES system.

Data storage and integrity

Batch data is stored in a Microsoft SQL server database. An internal log is maintained to provide an audit trail of user actions.

BatchWeb user interface

BatchWeb is a web based user interface that looks similar to a web site. Through on-screen menu selections different sets of continuously updated batch, equipment and master recipe data, from both the Exaquantum and Exaquantum/Batch databases are displayed and can be selected for analysis using standard charts and lists. A Report view is also available.

Web-based user access to the system eliminates the need to install client software on each user's desktop. Using a web browser allows access from any intranet location.

Exaquantum/Batch Lite

Exaquantum/Batch Lite is an entry-level product for Yokogawa CS1000 and CS3000 Batch control systems. It licenses two named users, 10 recipes and 500 datapoints.

FDA 21 CFR Part 11

A 21 CFR Part 11 option is also available if required, providing trace ability though electronic record/electronic signature functionality.

The combination of these features results in the most advanced and capital efficient batch information management system available today.

Nigel Bowden, Yokogawa Managing Director, adds: "Exaquantum Batch is a key addition to the Exaquantum family of plant information systems. Our powerful PIMS products provide the vital intelligent and executable links between plant data and the electronic business brains of the most successful global installations in every major industry. Operators who are building from new, or rebuilds, can all benefit from the fine cutting-edge management that we can provide.

"Many continuous process now accept Exaquantum as their industry standard; today the batch industries have Exaquantum/Batch to provide the same fingertip control of their batch processes."

1. Yokogawa is a world leader in information management systems for process industries. The company provides a systems development and integration capability specializing in integrated information systems for process industries throughout the world.

2. The Yokogawa Exaquantum Plant Information Management System (PIMS) delivers benefits for plant operators in many process industries in most parts of the world. Yokogawa PIMS integrate data from many systems in a plant and produce high value business information for use by decision makers at all levels of the enterprise. Yokogawa PIMS automatically integrate data from process control systems, including Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), with other data from quality, maintenance, laboratory, planning, scheduling, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and many other systems. Yokogawa PIMS convert Plant Data into Business Information.

3. The Yokogawa software being installed today is already in use in chemicals, food, petrochemicals,
oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, power generation and general manufacturing throughout the world, providing monitoring, management, optimization modeling and control of many diverse, dynamic, and hazardous processes.

4. Issued on behalf of: Thomas Cowley, Yokogawa Marex Ltd, Marex House, 34 Medina Rd, Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK, PO31 7DA. Tel: +44 (0)1983 296011. Fax: +44 (0)1983 291776 e-mail: Thomas.Cowley@ymx.yokogawa.com

5. Yokogawa Marex web site: www.ymx.yokogawa.com

6. Issued by John Ockenden, John Ockenden international public relations, Whindrum House, Methven, Perth PH1 3QU. +44 (0)7710 391 054.
e-mail: john@jockenden.freeserve.co.uk

7. Photographs (both high res electronic and print) and system/network graphics are available to accompany this story. Please contact John Ockenden.