A position paper from the German Namur chemical industry body advocates the implementation of module type package (MTP) solutions in tomorrows distributed control systems. The paper, from Namur’s DCS work group, describes the requirements for the integration of modular units into a control system and their vertical integration as ‘orchestration layers’. MTP is said to be a ‘key enabler’ for the transition of today’s systems into a world ‘as described for example by the (ExxonMobil-backed) Open Process Automation Standard O-PAS’.
Namur’s MTP was first presented in 2014 and predates O-PAS. MTP was originally developed in response to an earlier recommendation NE 148 for the modularization of process plants. The ‘vendor-agnostic’ MTP, with features such as a generic HMI description, are said to be ‘of interest’ to other initiatives, such as O-PAS. However the current level of MTP integration with DCS is ‘insufficient’. Namur sees MTP as the orchestration layer of a future overall architecture, replacing today’s DCS approach.
O-PAS and Namur’s MTP appear to have been evolving over parallel for some time but both share a desire for more ‘open’ control systems. Namur observes that the status quo reflects something of a stand-off, as vendors and end users are both waiting for each other. While end-users would like to have MTP finalized, this may ‘still takes years’. The latest Namur position paper is a call for ‘additional effort’ in the definition of a new system, where an ‘important role’ is envisaged for MTP. This would allow for integration of new systems with other plants that are automated according to ‘upcoming standards’ (read Namur?) across all levels of the system.
Namur has been working to ‘internationalize’ MTP as IEC 63280 apparently without much success. This may change with the transition of MTP into its new host organization, Profibus International. Also, a joint information model spanning O-PAS and MTP ‘needs to be complemented by more pilots and field trials to avoid solutions without a real-life value’. See also the ExxonMobil paper ‘OPAS Open Process Automation: A standards-based, open, secure, interoperable process control architecture where MTP is described as a ‘complementary initiative’ to OPAS.
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