"NIPIGAZ" for design of electroautomatic equipment uses the solution Eplan

On August 30, 2018 the EPLAN company announced that NIPIGAZ company for design of electroautomatic equipment uses the solution Eplan Preplanning.

Most actively selection process of a CAD for electroautomatic equipment began in 2012. The analysis of a different CAD regarding the most effective application in management of automation, communication and power supply was carried out. As a result EPLAN was selected - and the first license was purchased in 2012.

Stand of NIPIGAZ company. Photo: sanktpeterburg.bezformata.ru

A choice for benefit of EPLAN was made because he met to the majority of technical requirements, was flexible in settings, allowed to adapt the program to requirements NIPIGAZA for execution of the project documentation standard means of the program, was selected with frequent updates, a possibility of obtaining directories from producers of the electrotechnical equipment through Data Portal.

For implementation departments of KIA and an ACS were selected. Implementation was carried out gradually on several projects. With each following project extent of automation increased, work on typification of different schemes, on the most effective application of EPLAN is constantly conducted.

For August, 2018 at a stage of implementation there is a module Preplanning (the concept of its application at accomplishment of project works in departments IT, SAT and an ACS is created), study on expansion of use of the module FieldSys is conducted, the question of a possibility of use of the modules EPLAN Configurator and EPLAN ERP-PDM Integration Suit is considered. In further plans – completion and the beginning of operation of integration with such adjacent systems as Aveva - regarding information transfer about cables for their automatic routing.

The customer noted that in NIPIGAZE employees of KIA work in two geografiya (Krasnodar and Tyumen) and the question of effective work in EPLAN is relevant for the company. At the Krasnodar office the problem of multi-user work in one project was solved by means of the built-in module Multiuser Management. This solution allows to work to a large number of users in the database of the project. The number of simultaneous use of a common information space is limited to the power of servers. For August, 2018 in the database about 8 people work.

The number of the used licenses for each geography programmatically is not limited and defined proceeding from requirement and mobilization of employees on the project (these data constantly change because of different blueprint stages, volumes and terms). Detail designs are conducted by each project office on the server with the Basic data and bases of products. Planned synchronization of Basic data and databases is carried out daily at night. Administration of projects (their creation, providing the rights) is conducted from Krasnodar, all completed projects are transferred to an archive format and transferred to the Krasnodar server.

At the very beginning of implementation of EPLAN strategy with the minimum additional involvement of programmers for writing of different macroes to EPLAN was selected. I.e. tried to use the standard EPLAN tools for the solution of all the tasks and standard tools, according to the customer while is enough. Implementation in the strategy of end-to-end design is in a stage of approval of the principles of interaction of systems. EPLAN is completely ready to data exchange with AVEVA. Difficulties are caused by absence necessary for data exchange on the technology schemes created in AVEVA for further work with them in EPLAN.

The EPLAN program is expected use of the unified technical and schematic solutions (macroes) therefore on development of the unique solution as noted in NIPIGAZE, leaves time sometimes more, than during the work in a graphical environment. But clear advantage before a graphical environment is obtaining such reports of a set of department of ASE: "Specification", Kabelnotrubny magazine, "General data", Signal code, Instrumentation and automated control systems List, different "Lists of elements".

On an analysis result of implementation of EPLAN in NIPIGAZ company selected several main points:

• important in the course of implementation at first to carry out the analysis of all issued documentation, to develop the concept and only after that to begin to use EPLAN;
• if there is third-party software with which integration will be executed, then it is necessary to think of integration right at the beginning (the basic principles, structure, the list of data which will be transmitted from one software to another);
• work in a uniform DB;
• only after final adjustment of a template of the project, successful testing, including regarding integration with third-party software, it is worth starting creation of macroes;
• during creation of a DB of products and macroes it is necessary that these data were entered it is centralized by one user (before replenishment of a DB, it is also important to think over structure of storage and the rule of changes).

NIPIGAZ company specified that in plans of inspection department and Automatic equipment for all new projects regarding circuit solutions to work only in EPLAN. In engineering center NIPIGAZA in Krasnodar the decision on use of EPLAN in department of KIA in all new projects is made. 95% of specialists of department are trained in work in EPLAN software. For August, 2018 specialists of one group completely work in EPLAN. From other project teams about 2-3 persons (in total about 10 people) are attracted approximately. Proceeding from the fact that use of EPLAN gathers a positive trend and the number of the trained and working users becomes more and more every year, for strengthening of such dynamics for 2018 by the company planned increase in a pool of user licenses by 50%. In department of ETO actively there is development of the concept of design to EPLAN using the module Preplanning, joint works of specialists of NIPIGAZ company with EPLAN company on creation of the rated module which will allow to use more effectively the staff of ETO EPLAN that will increase their involvement into uniform workflow of design of circuit solutions along with other disciplines of ASE are conducted. Department of an ACS one of the first beginnings to execute projects in EPLAN, using ProPanel and FieldSys add-on modules. For August, 2018 in department of an ACS of 97% of specialists it is trained in work in EPLAN. All projects on development of systems of management are executed in EPLAN. Control cabinets are executed in 3D by means of the module ProPanel. The possibility of accomplishment in EPLAN of projects on a LAN and the ASU interareal networks is studied. There is a work on implementation of the module PrePlanning. In department of SBT the concept of design is developed, preparatory work for accomplishment of a pilot project is conducted.