Testing Automation Systems

[Mefi01]

Hello Guys,

Can anyone explain what ''the testing of Automation Systems'' mean in simple terms, and maybe using some examples. thank you

 

[BrianPetersen]

Vague question, vague answer.

"Does it work?" YES or NO.

You will have to be a whole lot more specific in your question if you want any sort of meaningful answer.

 

[Mefi01]

Thank you Brian, I mean what sort of tools people normally use to test automation systems?

 

[BrianPetersen]

A voltmeter. A micrometer. A co-ordinate measuring machine. A thermometer. A stopwatch. A data logger. A video camera. A measuring tape. Your eyes. Your ears. Countless more possibilities.

As you can see, your question is still too vague.

What do you mean by "test"?

What product is the automation system producing? What process is the automation automating? What are the critical aspects of the process or product? We have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[Mefi01]

Thank you Brian, Say we are designing a PLC system, what would be the testing process in such as a system?

 

[BrianPetersen]

Do you only care about the PLC ... or do you care about the process that the PLC is controlling?

 

[Mefi01]

I care about the two, my top priority is the system control which made me use the PLC system.

 

[Skogsgurra]

??? Still not possible to understand what you are asking about.

Is it comissioning? Or testing the system's functionality? Or Immunity to EMI? Or cycle time? Or any other aspect of the system? Or all - and then some - aspects?

If it is commissioning, then you shall do a thorough I/O check, check immunity to and recovery from power supply disturbances, make sure that limit switches, temperature, pressure, speed/overspeed etcetera devices are correctly installed, working and set. After that make sure that displays and process pictures contain the right information, are correctly calibrated and that data logging works as intended. It is during commissioning that you need it the most. When all such things are found OK, then start testing subsections and finally test run the whole system - peferably without medium or products and finally test with medium/Product(s) and operators.

Do not forget the operator training and to include changes made during commissioning in the system description/manual.

Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

--------------------------------------
Half full - Half empty? I don't mind. It's what in it that counts.

 

[catserveng]

This may get you started, this is an excellent resource,

http://www.amazon.com/Start-Up-Technicians-Guide-Second-Edition/dp/1936007533

ISA has many technical articles and books related to control systems,

http://www.isa.org

MikeL.

 

[roydm]

I may be able to elaborate, we commission 4-6 medium size plants and probably a dozen skids each year.
The mid size plants are DCS based, usually Foundation Fieldbus.
First few days you walk around just looking at things, typically you find lots of problems like missing instruments, instruments in backwards, instruments missing altogether.
You don't need a lot of hardware usually the DCS is able to communicate with the field instruments, if not chances are there-s some sort of wiring mistake.
These days you don't often see calibration equipment, the transmitters are more accurate than most test equipment.

Hopefully by the commissioning stage the client has assembled a team of instrument techs who are keen to learn, they supply all tools and test equipment.

For a non Foundation Fieldbus plant the transmitters are usually HART so you need a mead of communicating with them either by laptop or a HART configurator. A good multimeter e.g. Fluke 75. a 4-20 mA simulator.

An accurate gauge for setting pressure regulators.

We usually spend about a week checking all the trips

Followed by water batching which checks things like flowmeters, level transmitters, switches etc

 

[controlsdude]

Systems are of two types?

1st type
In house unit op machines, ran in house, all checks down in house, run off with customer.
Minimum time onsite just for interface testing and verify power and IO.

2nd type
machine built onsite, all checks onsite. This would be Material handling equipment and any machine too big to run at manufacturers site. This requires more time onsite.