ABB Launches Automation Extended for Seamless DCS Upgrades

ABB today unveiled Automation Extended, a new program designed to advance its distributed control system (DCS) portfolio and help industrial operators modernize without stopping production.

Developed based on the extensive global DCS installed base of ABB and a global process automation acumen, Automation Extended assists step-by-step upgrades to help maintain operations stable as it provides the flexibility, scalability and performance of its operation when future needs arise.

The industrial plants are under the increasing pressure of market unpredictability, cyber threats, stricter compliance regulations, and the shifting employee capabilities. Automation Extended is designed to deal with these issues. It enables businesses to implement digital upgrades with greater speed, integrate analytics and IoT solutions and streamline plant processes- without jeopardizing uptime.

Also Read: What's Driving LNG Adoption in India’s Commercial Transport

Existing customers are able to keep running the platforms they have trusted, including ABB Ability System 800xA x, ABB Ability Symphony x Plus, and ABB Freelance and add new capabilities overtime. This systematic strategy reduces the risk, secures the current investments and establishes an easy way to innovation.

Peter Terwiesch, President of ABB Automation business area, said that in the industries that we serve, most of which operate large and complex facilities, the customers should modernize the facilities without interrupting the operations. Automation Extended brings that by providing future ready features to the systems that the customers are already comfortable with, security and interoperability being part of it.

It is a program founded on an open and modular ecosystem that isolates control and digital environments in two layers that are safely connected. The digital layer allows AI, machine learning, edge intelligence, and real-time analytics, but does not affect fundamental control capabilities, which is maintained by the control layer.