THROUGH AN ongoing technical and commercial relationship, ABB and Intergraph have announced that Intergraph SmartPlant Instrumentation has been Industrial IT enabled. The two companies have signed a cooperative marketing and distribution agreement to support the developed integration between SmartPlant Instrumentation and System 800xA, along with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for current and future collaborative development efforts. SmartPlant Instrumentation is intelligent software for instrumentation and control systems engineering, design and maintenance. Industrial IT enabled products set the standard for productivity and ensure compliance with System 800xA's automation and information architecture. Industrial IT enabled certification verifies plug and produce integration of value added third-party software and hardware with Extended Automation System 800xA. In addition to Intergraph SmartPlant Instrumentation, certified integrations for SAP, IFS and MRO maintenance systems, Meriam Technologies device management system, and others also enhance System 800xA's comprehensive plant management capabilities. Intergraph and ABB have collaborated on a number of solutions that deliver engineering efficiency to the automation marketplace, including the current System 800xA Process Engineering Tool Integration for SmartPlant Instrumentation. The existing, currently available, interface is based on ABB's web-service technology. It enables automated 800xA configuration based on SmartPlant Instrumentation content, dynamic context-based access to design documentation from within 800xA, and bi-directional exchange of information between SmartPlant Instrumentation and 800xA"This agreement continues the ongoing working relationship that we have enjoyed with Intergraph; together we have delivered best in class engineering solutions to our mutual customers in a variety of industries," said Bob Hausler, vice president Industrial IT Systems Marketing, ABB Inc. "SmartPlant and 800xA integration allows our customers to increase their overall efficiency and reduce the risk of errors, as it reduces engineering work iterations, eliminates rekeying of configuration data, and helps improve quality and reliability." Zur Bar, vice president, Business Development, Intergraph Process Power & Marine, said, "ABB's leading automation control system and technology brings significant value to this agreement. The ABB and Intergraph joint effort to provide an integrated supply chain aims for improving data quality and addressing key business and productivity needs by integration between the Intergraph SmartPlant Enterprise and ABB System 800xA. Furthermore, the cooperative marketing and distribution agreement provides ABB's clientele the option of single point access to Intergraph's leading technologies." SmartPlant Instrumentation is comprehensive, lifecycle software for instrumentation systems engineering, design and maintenance. It provides 10 standard, integrated modules for instrument indexes, calibration and maintenance, specifications, process data, calculation, wiring, loop drawings, hook-ups and commissioning, plus two separately purchasable add-ons: Dimensional Data for Piping and Telecommunication. Automatically-generated, CAD-free loop diagrams enable personnel to review, modify or create schematics for use in routine operations or design tasks. SmartPlant Instrumentation is part of a full engineering enterprise solution suite, the SmartPlant Enterprise, which manages engineering information critical to physical plant assets and integrates engineering with other enterprise business and operational systems. ABB's System 800xA extends the scope of traditional control systems to include all automation functions in a single operations and engineering environment so that plants/mills can run smarter and better at substantial cost savings. Its reach extends well beyond the realm of essential process control to production management, safety, smart instrumentation, smart drives and motor control, information management, asset optimization, simulation, and documentation. System 800xA's engineering environment manages one set of consistent data, for single-point entry, single-point change, and re-use across the plant.
