PASS: Protecting, Automating, Securing, Supporting

Getting a Cetix PASS for your business means being protected, solving automation problems, securing systems, and receiving support solutions to improve productivity, reduce waste, and keep things up and running safely. 

At Cetix, we specialise in providing automation for industrial control and monitoring system solutions, in particular PLC / SCADA & Safety Systems in highly regulated markets such as Oil & Gas, Nuclear and Chemical Industries.

In this blog, we’ll explore the Automating section of PASS, and detail how Cetix can partner with you for control system excellence.

Contact Cetix today to learn more about our automation support solutions and services.

Automating Solutions Automation Support Solutions

Cetix: Automating

Process automation transforms manually intensive work into automated efficiency, and Cetix’ expert team are ready to help you maximise your control system investment across various industrial sectors, including Manufacturing, Chemical, Food & Beverage, Oil & Gas, and Power (Conventional, Renewables, Nuclear).

Cetix delivers automation and control solutions for process manufacturing industries where primary production processes are either continuous or occur in batches. Process optimisation delivers the highest output with minimal production costs, meaning greater financial returns when you automate your processes and receive support from Cetix. 

With Cetix’s advanced process automation solutions, you can optimise your operational efficiency and enhance system performance through:

  • Precision Control: Automating critical components such as valves, temperature, and pressure controls to streamline production processes and maximise throughput.
  • Enhanced Safety: Mitigating risks by removing operators from hazardous environments, replacing manual interventions with reliable automated systems for improved workplace safety.
  • Operational Resilience: Safeguarding your assets and workforce through intelligent fault diagnostics and automated shutdown protocols, providing real-time insights and minimising downtime.

Cetix’ Automation Support Solutions

At Cetix, we offer unparalleled automation support backed by close relationships with major vendors with our deep industry knowledge. Our expert team is ready to help you maximise your control system investment across various industrial sectors.

Need help in a hurry? Our Automation Helpdesk provides direct, 24/7 access to certified engineers, ensuring swift and efficient support. With no call centres involved, our specialists are always on hand to resolve issues, offering a seamless and reliable service tailored to your business needs.

Cetix delivers multi-platform, multi-site automation support, ensuring that your systems are fully optimised, no matter the environment or industry. From plant unplanned downtime to remote monitoring, our team ensures every aspect of your control system operates smoothly, with expertise spanning various sectors and technologies.

Complete Automation Project Lifecycle Service

The Cetix Project Lifecycle ensures precise and efficient delivery of functional safety and automation solutions by following a structured approach tailored to client and regulatory requirements. 

This lifecycle is divided into six critical phases:

  1. Requirements Definition and Planning: Establishing a definitive scope with the client, setting goals, identifying risks, and developing a comprehensive project plan.
  2. Functional Design: Crafting a solution to meet functional and technical requirements, defining system interactions, and ensuring compliance with project constraints.
  3. Detailed Design: Delving into subsystem specifications with a focus on hardware, software, interfaces, and user functionality to facilitate seamless implementation.
  4. Implementation and Test: Constructing and rigorously testing system components to meet design standards and operational expectations.
  5. System Integration and Test: Validating the complete system by integrating subsystems, ensuring full functionality, and achieving compliance with client requirements.
  6. Installation, Commissioning, and Acceptance: Deploying the solution on-site, integrating it with existing systems, conducting final testing, and achieving client approval and handover.

Obsolescence Solutions

With industrial control systems, actioning obsolescence issues can be a costly issue, particularly as these industrial control systems are designed to be used in harsh environments with minimal downtime. As a result, many companies are of the mindset that “if the automation system is operational, then why change it?” 


However, at Cetix, we believe this needs to be looked at from a different perspective, factoring in an aging workforce, complex code, and loss of comments and documentation. 

 

Cetix continues to support a number of legacy systems and welcome the opportunity to look at migration to the latest hardware or perhaps migrate to a new platform to provide a common system approach on your site.

  • System Upgrades and Migration: Cetix provides services to upgrade or migrate legacy systems to newer, more advanced technologies. This would involve replacing obsolete PLCs, SCADA systems, or safety controllers with current, supported equipment. The goal is to ensure that the system remains reliable and that spare parts and software support are available.
  • Software Updates and Patches: In many cases, outdated software might be a critical factor in obsolescence. Cetix provides software updates or custom patches to ensure compatibility with newer hardware or to improve the security and functionality of legacy systems.
  • Lifecycle Management: Cetix helps clients assess the lifecycle of their control and monitoring systems. By identifying when certain components are approaching obsolescence, we can help plan for proactive replacement or upgrades to prevent unplanned downtime and ensure continued operational efficiency.
  • Obsolescence Risk Analysis: Providing in-depth risk assessments to determine the potential impact of component obsolescence on safety, operations, and compliance is an important part of Cetix’s strategy. This includes evaluating the criticality of each system or component and planning for its replacement or upgrade based on risk factors.

By focusing on these strategies, Cetix helps ensure that industrial control systems in critical sectors like oil and gas continue to operate safely and efficiently, even in the face of hardware and software obsolescence.

Contact Cetix today, and secure your Cetix PASS.

Cetix PASS: Automating FAQs

How do process control systems improve operational efficiency?

These systems enable continuous monitoring and control of complex processes, reducing downtime, improving consistency, enhancing product quality, and minimising resource waste.

What are the key components of a process control system?

The key components include sensors, actuators, controllers (such as PLCs), communication networks, and supervisory systems like SCADA for data visualisation and analysis.

What industries benefit from process control automation?

Industries such as oil and gas, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, power generation, water treatment, and manufacturing all benefit significantly from automated process control systems.

How do PLCs and SCADA systems work together in process control?

PLCs and SCADA systems work together in process control by combining localised automation with centralised monitoring. PLCs handle real-time data from sensors and execute control logic to manage machinery and processes.

SCADA systems provide a high-level interface for operators to monitor, control, and analyse processes remotely, using visualisations, alarms, and data logging. They communicate through industrial protocols like Modbus or Ethernet/IP.

PLCs focus on real-time execution, while SCADA offers centralised oversight, making the system efficient, scalable, and reliable.

Can process control automation be integrated with existing systems?

Yes, modern process control systems can often be integrated with legacy equipment using appropriate communication protocols, allowing for seamless upgrades without needing to replace all existing infrastructure.

How does process control automation impact safety?

Automated process control systems can improve safety by reducing human errors, ensuring processes stay within safe operational limits, and providing real-time alerts for anomalies or safety-critical events.

Can remote monitoring be used for process control systems?

Yes, modern systems allow remote monitoring through SCADA systems, enabling operators to view real-time data, make adjustments, and even troubleshoot problems remotely.