SIEMENS has added multiple new functions, including alarm control and an enhanced signaling and diagnostics concept, to version 7.1 of its Cemat process control system for the cement industry and associated sectors.According to Siemens, the signaling and diagnostics concept has been designed to reduce plant downtimes as well as operating and maintenance costs, thus increasing plant availability and productivity. Alarm control is a freely-configurable signaling system integrated in the operator system for effective message display and processing. Cemat is based on the current version 7.1 of Simatic PCS 7 and is said to offer all the performance features and functions of the process control system, such as Advanced Process Library (APC). Siemens says other new functions of the Cemat version 7.1 include web-client diagnostic information via Web Server for the easy transmission of maintenance data via LAN, SMS or email, the listing of by-passed process signals, the display of corresponding groups and routes for all process objects and object-granular alarm acknowledgement. In addition, the faceplates and trend views have been reworked. Another new feature is the tracking of signals and signal state values across block boundaries, which is said to allow the operator to react quickly to potential errors. The latest Cemat version is compatible with all previous Cemat versions since version 1.8.
