Tap Into Your Hard-to-Access Deluge of Industrial Data
Amid exponential data growth, industrial enterprises face a problem: How can this deluge of data be used to augment efficiency and spur innovation?
This is what we call the industrial data operations (DataOps) challenge. Plants have lots of information but don’t know how to bring data together and put it to good use.
By integrating Belden Horizon Data Operations with your AVEVA PI System (formerly known as OSIsoft PI System), we can help you address this obstacle head-on so you can manage, analyze, and act on your industrial data effectively.
The Challenges of Extracting and Leveraging Industrial Data
As a data management solution, AVEVA PI helps tackle the unique challenges presented by your industrial environment. While it collects and stores data from various sources, extracting and leveraging industrial data from it can be difficult.
Because the tool is restricted to Windows due to its reliance on the .NET framework, it isn’t adaptable across different platforms.
And while it extends data access, it also requires an additional purchase (an API), which can be a financial barrier.
These constraints limit efficient data utilization, which can prevent you from accessing advanced analytics that improve operations.
Belden Horizon Data Operations helps AVEVA PI users overcome these limitations, streamlining data access and data processing through flexible integration that follows a three-part strategy.
1. Unlock Integration Solutions
The first thing you need to do is unlock the industrial data in your AVEVA PI system. With Belden Horizon Data Operations, there are several integration solutions you can choose from to move past the system’s limitations and enhance accessibility. No matter which option you choose, you can access your OT data within minutes.
- DH Historian Agent collects data from AVEVA PI and securely transmits it to Belden Horizon Data Operations for additional processing via a Windows-based agent.
- Northbound integration simplifies connectivity for proprietary OEM machines by using the API and OMF (Open Messaging Format) to enable Belden Horizon Data Operations to send processed data to the AVEVA PI server.
- Cloud integration sends data to cloud-based services, enabling remote data management and analysis with Belden Horizon Data Operations.
2. Activate Digital Twins
Now that your data is unlocked, it’s time to make it actionable by giving it context.
Digital twins enhance AVEVA PI by activating your data and providing context, clarity, and usefulness. Creating digital twin models with Belden Horizon Data Operations lets you use Asset Framework data for superior visualization and deeper analytics.
Transforming raw data into actionable information in this way leads to major operational advancements:
- Data Enhancement: Digital twins enrich raw data by adding relevant context so you can integrate and align diverse data sources with your business operations.
- Advanced Analytics: By processing contextualized data, you can implement sophisticated analytics for predictive maintenance and process optimization, made possible by Belden Horizon Data Operations’ capacity for handling complex, real-time computations.
- System Integration: Digital twins enhance your enterprise-wide strategies by integrating data across platforms, allowing for easy transfers to cloud services.
3. Scale Data Management Choices
It’s essential to consider your options for managing data and scaling to multiple sites: using a historian or adopting cloud-based systems.
Traditional historians provide robust data access but limit the scope of integration and analysis to local systems.
Cloud-based solutions enhance scalability and allow central management of data from various sources, including remote sites without dedicated servers. They support real-time data processing and enable the use of advanced analytics and AI across your plant. This approach aligns with Industry 4.0 principles, facilitating digital twins and custom applications that activate your data.
Opting for the cloud helps dismantle industrial-data silos and promotes a collaborative and insightful operational environment that scales innovations and digital transformation.
How This Integration Pays Off in Real Life
To appreciate the advantages that Belden Horizon Data Operations and AVEVA PI integration offers, let’s consider a few scenarios.
1. Condition-Based Monitoring in Manufacturing
Imagine you run a manufacturing plant where the efficiency of critical machinery is paramount. To ensure this, teams manually check machines for failure. With Belden Horizon Data Operations, however, digital twins simulate every machine’s operation in real-time. When a pump reaches a critical operation threshold—for example, running for 10,000 hours—Belden Horizon automatically queries AVEVA PI for this data.
Then, it compares the results to pre-set rules. If the threshold is met, then it instantly generates a work order. This proactive approach minimizes downtime and boosts equipment efficiency by ensuring timely maintenance.
2. Data Management for Remote Operations
Let’s say your company operates multiple small, remote facilities that lack infrastructure for local data processing or an onsite PI server. Managing and analyzing data from these disparate locations traditionally requires significant and overwhelming engineering resources and complex systems.
By integrating Belden Horizon Data Operations, asset data from these sites is collected, processed, and securely transmitted to a centralized PI server in your data center. Real-time data analysis, better decision-making capabilities, and increased efficiency become possible.
Belden Horizon Data Operations streamlines connectivity and reduces maintenance demands, with no cumbersome setup or maintenance. This is ideal for small or overextended teams.
Solving Your Industrial DataOps Challenges
Integrating Belden Horizon Data Operations’ connectivity and real-time processing with AVEVA PI’s data management solves your industrial DataOps challenges by enabling:
- Faster decision-making
- More efficient workflows
- Access to advanced tools
- Data access to capitalize on artificial intelligence and machine learning