Today, we are presenting one of the latest Vismec technological developments: the new supervisor integrated with the OPC UA protocol. Thanks to the introduction of Industry 4.0 elements, the device allows for better and more comprehensive plant monitoring. In this article, we will delve into what it is, outlining its purposes and general operating principles. Then, we will focus on the more technical aspects, highlighting the improvements offered over previous solutions. 

The new Vismec supervisor with OPC UA protocol: why we have developed it 

The aim of the new device is to enhance the control and monitoring the capabilities of the various components of the installed plants, as well as the interoperability of different machines. The project was developed to more effectively address certain organisational and operational needs, including the overall verification of plant operation, the visualisation of relevant data, and the identification of any anomalies. Thanks to the new supervisor, and in particular the presence of the OPC UA protocol, it is possible to:

  • remotely verify the correct operation of plants and their components, allowing for more targeted interventions when necessary;
  • manage access and permissions for each operator who administers, defines, or adjusts machine settings, based on their role and functions;
  • improve the connection between the centralised Vismec control system and external software interacting with the machines within the production layout and management system.

The last function mentioned, for instance, can be useful for connecting the Vismec system with a management software used by a client company, through an interface that allows for the visualisation of selected variables of the installed machines. This innovation is made possible by the OPC UA Server added to the new supervisor. 

At the core of these mechanisms is a paradigm shift that represents one of the most significant evolutions in the newly introduced supervisor. In fact, the device’s programming logic shifts from a functional approach to an object-oriented approach. What does it mean? To better understand it, we first need to define what a “software object” is. 

A “software object” is a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming (OOP). This paradigm is based on the idea of organising computer code into “objects,” understood as structures that combine data and functions, and that can be used to represent real-world entities or abstract concepts within a program. 

Here are the key characteristics of a software object that help us understand the functioning of the new Vismec supervisor based on OPC UA protocols.

  • Attributes (or features). These are variables that contain information about the object’s state. For example, in an object representing a person, the attributes might include name, age, address, etc.
  • Methods. These are functions associated with the object and define its behaviour. For example, a “person” object might have methods like “walk,” “talk,” “eat,” etc.
  • Encapsulation. Objects hide the details of their internal implementation from external users, allowing access only through so-called public methods. This principle helps protect data, a key function in OPC UA protocols, and reduce code complexity.

Thanks to programming according to this logic, the new supervisor allows software objects to interact with each other through message exchanges: for example, transferring data for processing and subsequently receiving the result of their processing. This mechanism translates into better interoperability between software, machinery and users, making plant monitoring more comprehensive and integrated. 

Improvements over previous monitoring systems 

After this technical-methodological overview, we now present in more detail the various functions of the device and the main differences compared to the systems previously used to control the granule conveying, drying, and dosing plants installed at client sites. 

We want to focus particularly on the operational advantages that plastic processing companies can benefit from, thanks to the new supervisor. Here are the main ones:

  • improved hardware;
  • simplified graphics to immediately highlight the main variables to be monitored, related to each plant component;
  • generalised evaluation of the state of each machine in the plant: not only abnormal states are monitored but also normal ones, each associated with a colour code;
  • improved alarm system to precisely identify the presence of anomalies, link them to the machine that registered them, and provide additional information such as their location and the time they occurred;
  • better interface connection between the centralised Vismec management system and the software used at the client’s site: we already discussed this aspect in the previous paragraph.

Our company is already working on further developments that will make the Vismec supervisor even more complete and integrated. Want to know how the new device can improve your company’s performance in terms of organisation, monitoring, and intervention? Contact our team: we are at your disposal.