ABB Ability

ABB Ability platform: the modern digital solutions for the industry constructed based on the general technologies

ABB Ability is the portfolio of digital solutions of ABB integrating knowledge, experience and products of ABB in the field of network technologies. It helps customers to create new processes and to improve existing, providing data for the analysis, optimizing planning and control of works in real time.

2020

ABB Ability Advanced Process Control

On June 3, 2020 AVV company presented the solution for the metallurgical industry – ABB Ability Advanced Process Control. It provides modeling of technology processes for achievement of stability of operation of the equipment and systems that affects product quality, allows to increase performance and to reduce costs. The solution implements a management system on the basis of predictive models (MRS) and also collects analytical data for ensuring necessary level of automation and process optimization.

According to the company, the solution ABB Ability Advanced Process Control for the metallurgical industry is used by MRS, creating digital doubles for key production processes of steel and using technology data for forecasting of operation of the equipment in the long term. Acting as so-called "auto pilot", the solution builds processes, using methods of modeling and optimization that leads to increase in profitability. In addition to performance improvement, improvement of product quality and decrease in its cost value, the solution AVV reduces requirement of the operator for continuous monitoring and modification of processes.

Advanced Process Control for the metallurgical industry, being a part of the digital solutions ABB Ability, processes the data obtained in real time from management systems (for example, ABB Ability 800xA or the alternative systems of other producers), using open protocols of communication, such as ORS (OLE for management of technology processes).

The solution AVV is proposed to producers of metal by the configured tools which can be applied to the different technology applications developed depending on needs of the customer. On June, 2020 three ABB Ability Advanced Process Control applications configured on optimization of performance are available to customers from the metallurgical industry:

• Indurating machines for production of pellets
• Dryers for production of pellets
• Mills for a raw materials grinding

Two applications were already installed on steel plant in India. When using on indurating machines for production of pellets, the customer announced 15 percent decrease in deviations (in comparison with standard indicators) in a profile of distribution of temperatures in the indurating machine that led to improvement of quality of pellets and reduction of fuel consumption. On dryers for production of pellets, temperature monitoring at the exit became more exact, even taking into account delays by production and violations of feed speed.

Providing free access to ABB Ability Connected Services until the end of the year

30 March, 2020 the ABB Group company reported that its business division "Robotics and Discrete Automation" provides for customers key program services until the end of 2020 free of charge.

Customers and partners of the company can use digital solutions which allow to manage far off production lines and to support work of the robotic systems with optimal performance in smaller interaction with the person. Considering need for restriction of contacts at a short distance and to remote work, it became especially relevant. Digital instruments will help customers to be prepared for project implementation which they will continue to implement as soon as all go back to work.

The software provided free of charge includes:

• ABB Ability Connected Services is condition monitoring and diagnostics. The platform of remote connection ABB controls working capacity and capacity of certain robots or the whole park of robotic cells, helping clients to control and start remotely the robotic systems with an optimal performance. ABB Ability services give efficient intellectual opportunities which allow service engineers to solve the problems capable to lead to expensive unplanned stops, even before their emergence.

• RobotStudio is a software of ABB for modeling and offline - programming, offering complete digital copy (the digital double) of physical assets or systems that the client could monitor a status of a production line far off. The tool for autonomous programming of RobotStudio allows users to create, model and test complete installation of the robot in virtual three-dimensional environment, without visiting and without breaking real production process. All functionality of RobotStudio, including all Powerpacks and CAD converters, digital doubles and meetings in virtual reality, is available free of charge now.

ABB Ability Smart Sensor

On February 5, 2020 the ABB company provided intelligent Smart Sensor sensors for the vryvozashchishchenny equipment. The product will expand a scope of intelligent sensors of ABB with construction of the next generation for power units in explosive zones. The enterprises of the chemical and oil and gas industry will be able to use a cost-efficient method of condition monitoring of the explosion-proof equipment in a broad spectrum of installations now.

According to the company, wireless Smart Sensor sensors monitor keyword parameters and give detailed information on a status and performance of such installations as electric motors and pumps. A condition of equipment, set in hard-to-reach and dangerous spots now it is possible to trace remotely. Consolidation of opportunities of continuous monitoring and data analysis means that users can plan maintenance of the equipment in advance, reduce a downtime and prolong the term of its service.

Sensors became even more sensitive and will allow to detect a problem at an early stage. Sensors allow to trace even more parmetr on bigger remoteness at life expectancy of the power source. Teyo Karna, the head on development of ABB Ability Smart Sensor technology of the ABB group told

Sensors are equipped with the battery which works three times longer. They are completely hermetic, have degree of protection of IP66/67 and can be installed directly on the equipment in a couple of minutes by means of the simplest mounting bracket.

It is possible to perform contact with the sensor using the smartphone, the tablet, the PC and the stationary router, thanks to Bluetooth and WirelessHART technologies. The updated construction of the antenna increased a relative coverage of the sensor, and now it is possible to perform contact with the sensor at distance of couple of hundreds of meters (without barriers).

One more distinctive product characteristic — the improved sensitivity of the sensor to the slightest state changes of the equipment. Thanks to it there is an opportunity, to announce beforehand the arising damage of the bearing. This opportunity to generate the large volume of data exists thanks to interaction of the integrated electronics and special algorithms.

For February, 2020 the stage of obtaining the certificates necessary for work in explosive zones — ATEX, IECEx, and NEC is completed. Other certificates will be received in 2020.

2019

ABB Ability Electrical Distribution Control System

For August, 2019 ABB Ability Electrical Distribution Control System (EDCS) represents the cloud software solution which executes record, the analysis and optimization of power flows within the system of power supply. Operators of the plant can obtain data on its work at any time and in any place using the smartphone, the tablet or the PC.

According to ABB Group, among features there is ABB Ability Electrical Distribution Control System for the customer in digits:

• Economy on operating costs up to 30% thanks to rational energy consumption and a possibility of flexible redistribution of power;
• Increase in value of projects up to 15% at the expense of additional opportunities for optimization of work of an electrical system and cost reduction;
• Enterprise management, timely informing personnel, fast connection to NKU thanks to reduction of components for 60% and to existence of only one module of communication. Use of the advanced cloud computing for collecting, processings and data storage accepted from the AVV devices installed in NKU.

After connection of a system to the platform of cloud computing ABB Ability EDCS information becomes available immediately. The interface of the EDCS dashboard is based on widgets and is intuitive.

ABB Ability EDCS is also equipped with the multifunction center of warnings which gives opportunities of instant informing employees on the arisen emergency or emergency situations.

Marine Remote Diagnostic System

For August, 2019 in the system of remote diagnostics (RDS, Marine Remote Diagnostic System) from the ABB Ability portfolio uses the software for onboard monitoring with a touch control which is completely integrated with coastal programs of data analysis. Specialists of AVV are sure that availability of the RDS system promotes cutting of costs for maintenance as experienced engineers will be able remotely to help to eliminate fault or to process a 24/7 request. By experience, it excludes about 30% of expensive visits aboard the vessel.

The ABB Ability portfolio includes from itself more than 180 digital solutions based on the industrial Internet allowing to create attached devices, systems and services which considerably increase performance reduce housekeeping overheads and energy consumption in the modern digital world.

Submission of the solution ABB Ability Digital Powertrain

On April 25, 2019 the ABB company announced the solution ABB Ability Digital Powertrain for bigger benefit of the customers and partners passing to digital solutions.

The digital drive ABB Ability Digital Powertrain system integrates drives, engines, elements of mechanical transmissions and technology equipment, ensuring smooth operation and performance. The data received using such system allow clients to obtain quicker information and to make the most optimal and reasoned decisions for reliable and effective work of the objects.

ABB Ability is suitable for application in different industries. It allows users via the uniform universal see portal in a digital format operational parameters and indicators of operability of the equipment, including its readiness, environmental conditions and messages about faults.

Components of a digital drive system are equipped with sensors and communication with a cloud. Drives are capable to manage any engine and are connected via the cloud gateway while engines, the installed bearings and pumps connect wirelessly to use of intelligent ABB Ability Smart Sensor sensors.

The drive ABB Ability Digital Powertrain system is our answer to the calls facing the enterprises and operators of infrastructure facilities during a digital era. Data collection and analytics help our clients to learn quicker a status of their equipment and to execute safer, reliable and effective transactions. Besides, permanent search of digital solutions allows ABB to understand better tasks of clients and partners which become more and more automated. Ruslan Hismatullin, the director of division Electric drive of AVV company in Russia

Security is crucial for many industries, in particular on production of food and drinks, in logistics where faults can create serious security risk of the equipment and the employees. The monitoring system for the digital electric drive in these industries guarantees remote detection of faults via the portal of monitoring for ensuring safe work.

For the enterprises mining, oil and gas, metalworking and pulp and paper industry failure of the system of power supply and unplanned idle time can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Market leaders find a method to avoid losses, in particular the Glencore mining company uses the digital drive ABB Ability systems for monitoring of the equipment:

We use service of condition monitoring of a system of pumps for sea water which distributes a cooling water at our plant. It is a crucial part of process. Integration of ABB Ability gives us the chance to collect more information and to compare the data arriving from two solutions for monitoring – on an object and remotely. It is useful to see a status of our equipment online. Sigurd Byerland, the electrical engineer on maintenance in Glencore Nikkelverk in Norway

Solutions for monitoring of the digital drive systems using ABB Ability are already successfully used in cooling systems, heating, water supply and other engineering systems of buildings around the world. The companies on water supply use monitoring that operators of the stations received reports in real time on schemes of use, energy consumption and values of loading. Data are updated and are available at any time, and specialists of AVV can analyze in case of need the equipment, for example, to estimate influence of the environment on it.

Integration with 3DExperience within partnership of ABB and Dassault Systèmes

The companies ABB Dassault Systèmes announced also on March 6, 2019 the beginning of large-scale partnership as a result of which the companies will be able to offer clients from the digital industries industries a portfolio of software solutions, the including broad spectrum of tools, beginning from product lifecycle managements and finishing with indicators of assets (asset health). Jointly the companies will provide to customers a complex of the advanced open digital solutions increasing competitiveness of industrial enterprises for the account increase in flexibility, speed and efficiency of product lifecycles, production and transactions.

As noted in ABB, partnership will allow to integrate strengths of the digital solutions ABB Ability and the Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE platform and also to add advantages of extensive base of the installed systems. According to information for March, 2019 ABB already implemented platform 3DEXPERIENCE for modeling and testing of the solutions before providing them to customers. As a result of this partnership ABB will have an opportunity to develop and offer additional tools during creation of digital doubles (digital twins) thanks to whom customers will be able to use solutions of ABB and to perform the transactions with improvement of indicators of overall effectiveness, flexibility and stability.

Within the step-by-step approach of the company will concentrate the attention on aspects of industrial automation and robotics, the automation equipment for manufacturing industry (process industry automation) and also electrification of "smart" buildings.

"This partnership will help our customers to implement innovations and to try to obtain growth, due to cardinal change of all chain of value creation and providing ample opportunities of use of digital technologies in the industry. Combining efforts, we offer a complete portfolio of open digital solutions – starting with digital doubles to solutions for management of indicators of assets". Ulrich Spiesshofer, chief executive officer of ABB

In the modern high-automated industries modeling of work of the digital enterprise and flexible robotic production systems help business to accelerate and increase the number of iterations at design, allowing to create even more reliable constructions. It, in turn, promotes transition from mass production to mass custom production (mass customization) at which the range extends, but batches of production and product lifecycle are reduced. For many producers idle time cost in recent years considerably increased and at the same time there is universal regulation a production of products "just in time" (just-in-time delivery). Hour of idle time on modern production can cost more than 1 million dollars, noted in ABB.

In 2017 the ABB company provided a full-fledged portfolio of digital solutions for the industry within ABB Ability which includes more than 210 digital solutions for planning, building and implementation of industrial transactions with higher productivity and security at cost reduction. Dassault Systèmes works with the companies of different scale in the different industries, helping them to cope with difficulties and tasks in the conditions of the modern Industrial Renaissance. Platform 3DEXPERIENCE integrates technologies and functionality in unified information environment for development of innovations which provides digital continuity throughout lifecycle, from work on the concept before production and ownership. The industrial companies can integrate 3D-applications presented in the platform for creation of digital doubles who allow to take valuable knowledge and to use available examination in scales of all ecosystem for measurement, assessment and forecasting of key indicators of industrial assets and also for optimization of use of these assets.

As reported in ABB, partnership with Dassault Systèmes first of all will be concentrated on the following directions:

• Automation of industrial enterprises and robotics

Use of digital doubles for complex process optimization and systems and also high flexibility due to use of means of automatic equipment and robotics is provided to industrial enterprises by dynamism and an opportunity to adapt to more and more changeable markets. With optimization and acceleration of start of the created products the enterprises are helped by production solutions ready for operation and services and also joint consulting of projects of transformation of production. Producers of electronics can quickly increase production of new products which at the same time differ short lifecycle, and producers of foodstuff will be able to switch between the different seasonal offers adapted to local conditions, saving at the same time high rates of production. In the industries with the high level of automation, for example, in automotive industry, the concept of digital doubles of the enterprise provides an integrated environment of design and production with support of new build processes and also the flexible and configured production cells. Besides, it allows to connect the separate systems, for example, of the automation system of logistic transactions with the robots installed on production lines for which timely delivery of parts is necessary for achievement of optimal performance.

• "Smart" buildings

Digital partnership of Dassault Systèmes and ABB in the field of the systems of digital doubles will allow to implement consecutive and continuous production process at design, engineering development and operation of buildings and also the connected solutions of steady transport. Available information in a combination with virtual environment of Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE will also provide to customers enhanced capabilities of interaction at stages of study of specifications and during operation.

• Processing industry: example of the mining industry

The growing competition in processing industry, for example, in the mining sphere, demands from the companies of permanent search of new methods of increase in security, productivity and efficiency of the production sites and at the same time cost reduction and risks in daily activity. The digital model of the miner environment in combination with schedule systems and managements of work of the mine will allow to optimize energy consumption and to automate the mine and also will provide to operators of mines an opportunity to control and optimize production in real time, using for this purpose virtual modeling of different future scenarios.

2018: ABB Ability Power Transformer, TXplore и TXpert

On July 11, 2018 the ABB company provided the power transformer ABB Ability Power Transformer – the complete solution for power transformers with a full digital integration.

Power transformer ABB Ability Power Transformer

According to the statement of the developer, all power transformers manufactured at the ABB plants will be equipped with the digital solutions allowing to perform remote monitoring and to analyze data of crucial parameters in real time. It will increase reliability of the equipment and will allow to use power supply system more effectively. Each transformer will be equipped with the digital hub which will allow to expand a portfolio of the intelligent devices connected to it by the principle of a Plug and Play. The modularity and scalability do a system ready to possible changes in the future, providing full digital control of its status and work.

The wireless robot bathyscaphe for ABB Ability TXplore service

ABB also announced start of the solution for ABB Ability TXplore service – the special wireless robot bathyscaphe intended for internal visual inspection of power transformers without oil draining. Thanks to what, internal inspection of the equipment can be performed remotely, quickly, safely and cost-efficient. Results of inspection are available to removed experts in real time. This approach increases security, reducing risks for personnel, reduces a downtime when checking from days to hours and reduces costs for check for 50% and more, the solution designer noted.

Digital ABB Ability TXpert distribution transformer distribution transformer

ABB showed also digital ABB Ability TXpert distribution transformer distribution transformer. Being based on the ABB Ability platform and intelligent sensors connected to it, TXpert provides all necessary information for maximizing reliability, optimization of operating expenses and maintenance by assets. Integration of sensors directly in the transformer during production process allows to achieve higher accuracy. Transformers perform important function – level variation of tension, increasing it for effective electric power transmission by long distances and lowering for safe distribution it to end consumers. They also help to maintain quality of the electric power and to control power, specified in ABB.^[1]

2017: Partnership with HPE

In November, 2017 Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) announced the beginning of global partnership with the Swiss electrotechnical giant ABB. The companies integrate the technologies for development of projects of industrial Internet of Things.

Within cooperation ABB will provide the complex digital medium of Ability integrating services for performance management of the enterprises and remote monitoring of buildings. These solutions are expected clients from such spheres as utilities, transport and production.

If ABB shares the experience in area of industrial processes and operational technologies, then HPE, in turn, will submit the software, IT solutions and platforms.

As a result of, for example, solution ABB Ability it will be possible to start on hybrid platforms, like HPE ProLiant Microsoft Azure for Stack thanks to what clients will be able to unroll applications in infrastructure of HPE on the industrial enterprises, in centers of processing data or in Azure cloud.

Joint efforts of HPE and ABB will propose solutions for data centers, including for control and optimization of IT infrastructure and data protection.

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