SCADA

Universally and flexibly applicable SCADA solution for operating and monitoring processes, machines and plants – implemented in 100 % web technology

Technology What FlowChief does for you

From the very beginning FlowChief has relied on web technology. This is an elementary component of the FlowChief DNA. With the fully integrated OPC UA functionality we not only talk about the often cited vertical integration, we are also offering solutions. The use of controllable standards additionally guarantees the security of your data.

Technology What FlowChief does for you

Why FlowChief?

State of the art technology and up-to-date standards
Adopt configuration for HMI, SCADA, Portal
Open, flexible and manufacturer-independent
Scalable to your needs
Long-term investment security

One-For-All One system – all solutions

Every plant is different, every customer has different focuses – FlowChief adapts to your individual needs. A modular software architecture and licensing make it possible: Scalable in functional scope and system size, updateable at any time for well over ten years.

One-For-All One system – all solutions

low maintenance

no interfaces between individual products
cost savings

during integration and especially in operation
easy product updates

no compatibility problems after updates

more about One-for-All

Visualization

FlowChief’s central component is a powerful and reliable visualization. High-performance updating of all data and very fast image changes, both for single-user solutions and for access via the network. In addition to message lists, trends and charts, external sources such as Google Maps or HTML webcam streams can also be embedded in the individually designed interfaces. Without pixelation, a wide variety of detailed information can be dynamically faded in and out using the zoom function. Secure access is guaranteed by password policies with optional 2-factor authentication and authenticity certificate-based data transfer.

Plugin-free – no client installation
Vector graphics – no pixelation
Content is displayed dependent on zoom level
Context and navigation menu
Password Policies and 2 Factor Authentication
SSL-encrypted communication

Dashboard

Always have the most important data of your business in sight, with the dashboard – compact, simple and organized. Widget elements such as speedo, bar graph, aggregates or diagrams can be put together easily and intuitively. In addition, visualization elements, text messages, Google Maps or webcams can be easily integrated. The responsive web design makes the dashboard suitable for all display sizes – PC monitor, tablet, smartphone. In addition to simply duplicating existing dashboards and creating new ones, it is also possible to share them with colleagues through with only one touch of a button.

Web-based editor
Responsive design (also for mobile devices)
Embedding: visualization, aggregates and objects
Embedding: Interactive curves, message archive, reports
Diagrammes – highcharts based
Share function

Archiving & Aggregation

The powerful historian functionality allows you to archive digital, analogue and meter data across time zones and to the millisecond. Archiving (delta event, cyclical, historical) and compression (15-minute, hourly, daily, monthly and annual values) can be individually parameterized for each variable. The consistent database model offers full transparency for visualization, trends, reports and export as well as full traceability of manually corrected process values. The security of your data is guaranteed by redundancy, backup & recovery and outsourcing functionalities.

Real-time database
Long-term archiving
UTC time stamping
Backup & Recovery
OPC UA Historical Data
Audit function
Archive value correction

Several plotter modes enable you to perform a variety of demand-oriented evaluations of all analog, digital or counter values. In addition to the obligatory online recorder, an archive and time comparison mode as well as a frequency analysis and an XY scatter diagram are also available. Flexible control functions such as mouse pointer, envelopes, limit values, min/max values, etc. together with modern multi-touch gestures round off the intuitive user experience. The various graphic display variants such as color, time domain, resolution, diagram type (line, bar, area, etc.) can be easily selected with a mouse click. Plotter combinations can not only be saved for private use, but can also be flexibly shared between different users.

Online, archive and time comparison mode
Frequency analysis, XY scatterplot
Analog, digital, limit and min/max values
Formatting as line, bar or area
Simultaneous display of up to 100 tags
Auto scaling, X-Y zoom, CSV value export
Virtual calculation function

Reporting

Several report modules open up unlimited possibilities for creating reports. Fixed defined reports can be parameterized and automatically generated at regular time intervals as well as dynamic dashboards. With the integrated designer, tables and diagrams such as cakes, columns or bars can also be integrated. The reports can be created as WebReports in HTML, so that they are available platform-neutral with every web browser and on all devices. A Microsoft Excel-based reporting system is also available for complex company solutions.

Web-based report designer
Flexible export options
Automatic e-mail dispatch
Excel reporting for enterprise solutions
Industry-specific report templates

Energy management

The self-sufficient energy dashboard helps you to recognize energy saving potentials and to operate your plant more sustainably. All consumption data of your plant is recorded independently of the media. Performance indicators (KPI) are created to evaluate efficiency. The historicization of organization, metering points and tariffs is possible independent of the process control system.

Hierarchization
Historicization
KPI management
Peak load monitoring
Meter management
Cost centre and tariff administration
ISO 50001 certified

Alerting & Escalation

The intelligent alarm platform ensures maximum system availability through targeted alarming in the event of a fault. Through the long-term archiving of all operating and fault messages, historical events can be completely traced and evaluated with the aid of frequency analysis. Based on priorities and alerting parameters, the system decides on the urgency and alerts user-specifically via voice call (also VoIP), SMS, push notification or e-mail. The software also enables complete standby and shift planning, including calendar function, dropping, parallel alarming and escalation of alerting channels.

Message archive
Evaluation and comment function
Frequency analysis
Escalation plan with a calendar
Alerting types: Telephone, SMS, E-mail, App
Text-to-speech
Plant part related configuration

Maintenance management

With the direct process connection for tracking operating hours and important measured values, the clearly arranged operation management tool supports the administration of machines and plants including their accompanying documentation. Repairs and preventive measures can be logged with printed or electronic routing slips. The permanent storage of all events enables the generation of clear machine life cycles.

Machine history (database)
Online coupling
Offline manual input
Multi-client capable
Ticket system
Routing slips

Recipe management & scheduler

FlowChief has an integrated recipe management and task planning for the simple administration of complex control parameters for the discrete manufacturing or process industry. Plant parameters can be easily adjusted to production and activated batch-related. In the process industry, complex processes can be controlled with coordinated target value rates. Switching commands and setpoints can be executed time-dependently and archived and reported as operating messages.

Recipe and setpoint management
Manual or automated recipe selection
Process-controlled procedures
Time-controlled procedures
Step chain based recipe selection

FlowChief scadaApp

Web App for unlimited access to your machines and processes!
FlowChief scadaApp enables you an easy and reliable access with mobile operating devices to your FlowChief SCADA or web.HMI.

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Core features

Redundancy

FlowChief systems can be upgraded at any time to a highly available and fail-safe redundancy solution. This maximization of availability prevents blind flights or data gaps, which can always occur due to network, communication or server hardware failures. FlowChief redundancy is based on Microsoft's failover clustering. All system functions such as browser visualization, communication, archiving, trends, reports or alarm management are still available even in case of failure.

Microsoft Failover Cluster (2-X parallel server instances)
Redundant communication (OPC, OPC UA, remote control)
Cold- and Hot-Standby (manual switching or automatic failover)
Switching without data loss
Automatic comparison of configuration and archive data

Message Archive

FlowChief records and archives events to the millisecond. The data is recorded via OPC, OPC UA Data Access or Alarm & Events. In addition to the time stamp, the source, the priority (severity), the description and the status are also recorded. The FlowChief reporting archive is the central surface for the administration and analysis of disturbances. Depending on the message, the user can acknowledge, enter a comment or initialize a maintenance task. In addition to the chronological evaluation of all messages, messages within time ranges can also be analyzed for frequency.

Recording of events via OPC/OPC UA Data Access or Alarm and Events
Extensive filter options (priority, text filter, message template, time period)
Chronological analysis of all events from operating messages to critical malfunctions
Frequency analysis – number, duration, average duration (absolute and percentage)
Direct linking of visualization images and external help documents
Initialization of maintenance tasks directly from the malfunction

User and role administration

FlowChief has a role-based user administration with an extensive rights concept. A multitude of parameters can be used user-specifically: Language switching via country code, alarm parameters or security settings such as two-factor authentication. With FlowChief it is easy to interface with the existing user management using the existing Windows Active Directory. Visualization, trends, dashboard and much more can be configured individually for each user.

Role-based user administration (user groups are supported)
Active Directory Integration (Single-Sign-On)
Password guidelines and 2-factor authentication
Optional user-specific alarms
Language selection based on user country recognition
User-specific user interfaces (visualization or dashboard)

Rights management

The FlowChief rights management regulates the access (reading, writing, configuring, executing) to the process and the different FlowChief functions. The parameterization can be done by the user or clearly via user groups. FlowChief structures plants hierarchically – it is possible to configure rights for specific plant sections, without restriction. This is the prerequisite for the continuous multi-client capability in FlowChief.

Read, write, configuration of rights on process variable level
Read, write, configuration of rights for FlowChief modules
Hierarchical inheritance of rights
Rights for administrative maintenance of dashboards or trends
Fully client-capable rights concept

Internationalization

FlowChief is developed from scratch for multilingual use. Depending on the language, each user receives a specific country code. The translations are flexibly maintained via a supplied Excel folder. This can easily be linked to existing translation databases. Language files are generated automatically at the push of a button. The complete system is translated, from the configuration to the process images to the system UI. The system user interface is available in German and English as default and can easily be extended to the language of the respective user.

User-dependent language selection
General language and character set (Unicode)
Continuous localization of the system configuration
Automatic translationof the process images

Audit

The FlowChief Audit records user actions during system operation and configuration changes during engineering. If required, user actions can be easily tracked and analyzed via a flexible interface (Audit Trail). Safety-related processes such as failed login attempts are also reliably recorded in the archiv. If required, audit entries can be cyclically transmitted to third-party systems via a reporting service. The following activities are recorded:

User login/logout including failed login attempts
Operator actions, e.g. setting of commands and setpoints or acknowledgement of malfunctions
Changes of configuration
Activation and modification of recipes and their data sets
Recording of special events such as detection of message showers

This is Engineering

The imager

The imager is a powerful engineering tool for creating and dynamizing process images. Working with the FlowChief imager can be done locally or remotely as a TCP/IP client. Versatile formatting options: Alignment tools and a large variety of cross-industry vector graphics and object libraries are the foundation for great process images.

Extensive graphics and object libraries
Online engineering (multi-user, no compiler)
Local or via network access (TCP-IP)
No external development environment necessary
Vector graphics (SVG) according to W3C standard
Embedding of sources (webcam, maps etc.)

Web-based-Configuration

With 100% web technology, we do not limit ourselves to visualization. Pure Web at FlowChief means continuous working with the web browser in all configuration and user front ends.

Plantexplorer – Creation of the data model
Dashboard and report designer
Standby and alarm configuration
Machine and maintenance configuration
Energy management
System settings
Recipe management
User management

Mass data configuration

Large quantities of process variables can be configured easily, quickly and very flexibly in FlowChief via Microsoft Excel™ . Programming knowledge is not necessary. The configuration can be done offline or online while the system is running. Changes are immediately available without system downtime.

Parameterizing instead of programming
Online change without system downtime
Integrated plausibility check of the configuration
Import and export function

Wizard

The web-based assistant for automatic transfer of the data model from the data source makes error-prone and cumbersome handling of large data point lists superfluous. Process variables are generated fully automatically on the basis of the PLC configuration. Data sources such as OPC UA server can also transmit further metadata (e.g. unit, measuring range, comment etc.) in addition to the symbolism. This makes it possible to project the complete data model decentrally in the PLC.

Automatic transfer of the configuration from SPS or SCADA
Efficient, high-performance engineering
Avoidance of configuration errors

Connectivity

The basis for manufacturer-independent communication between controllers, measuring devices or remote control components, is the use of open standard interfaces. FlowChief either interacts directly with controllers using OPC UA or uses the proven Classic OPC technology. Industry- or application-specific protocols such as Modbus, IEC 60870-5-104 or Profinet are connected in the simplest way. Characteristic features here are data acquisition in real time, a high level of fault tolerance and long-term compatibility.

Satisfied customers

Since 2011, the power plant of the district of Schwyz has been monitoring the power grid infrastructure on the generator and customer side with process control technology from FlowChief. FlowChief visualizes, monitors and controls network components such as circuit breakers, protection devices or transformer monitoring.

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The municipality of Marktoberdorf has been operating its own district heating network since 2009. During the expansion in 2012, the decision was made to monitor the operation of the plant with a central process control system. FlowChief is also used there for visualisation, alarming, historisation maintenance and heat management.

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Sewage sludge is dried in order to minimise its quantity and thus transport and disposal costs. SPANGLER has automated a Huber SE belt dryer with control technology from FlowChief. The dry material can be stored and opens up new disposal and recycling paths.

SPANGLER and the dumpling specialist Burgis relied on FlowChief for the construction of the new production facility. All processes from delivery and storage, sorting and washing to the production lines are recorded and documented. This is because strict regulations on traceability apply to food.

The SCHOTT technology group, which specializes in glass production, has been using FlowChief’s ISO 50001-certified energy data management system e-Gem since 2011. e-Gem acts as a data hub within the company. Energy planning, peak load optimization, billing and technical services continuously access the data and use it for their individual…

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The decisive factor for a FlowChief process control system was the uniquely integrated overall concept. Apart from the FlowChief process control system, there is no product on the market that offers an innovative and plugin-free web visualization with powerful historization, reporting and alarm platform in one application.

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We are looking forward to your inquiries and comments

What our customers say

At Zeppelin Power System we offer our customers tailor-made all-round carefree packages with our solutions for combined heat and power plants and marine installations. In FlowChief we found a partner with modern software and the necessary flexibility. That’s how we offer FlowChief based software solutions to customers – from simple machine operation to marine fleet management.

Timo Jakubzik

Engineer EMSR Zeppelin Power Systems

In 2012, we decided to modernize the aging Repas AEG process control system. After an extensive market analysis, the choice fell on FlowChief. The decisive point was above all the uniquely consistent overall concept of the application – so there is no comparable product on the market, which offers a plugin-free web visualization with historian server and alarm platform combined. Meanwhile, we also trust FlowChief with our in-house energy data management.

Wolfgang Voit

Leader Electrical Engnieering SKF Schweinfurt

Since 2006, we have relied on FlowChief for the central process control system. The big advantage of the FlowChief system structure, is the integration of many important functions of our control technology into one software. From visualization and archiving to reporting and maintenance management – up to 15 employees from the control center, specialist workshops and operations management work with the system on a daily basis. Prerequisite for this is the consistent execution in HTML5 web technology. The system is designed as a hot standby redundancy solution – the reliability is also ensured in exceptional situations, such as hardware defects.

Stefan Engelhardt

CEO civic sewage plant Erlangen

We offer software and automation solutions for municipal and industrial plants using products from various manufacturers. FlowChief stands out positively: The simple engineering and the flexible usability of the software with a multitude of industry-specific software modules are of great advantage for my employees. And if there are any problems, FlowChief provides us with top support fast and uncomplicated.

Karl Weber

CEO Elektro Hofmockel GmbH & Co. Elektroanlagen KG

For more than 20 years, we have specialized in the automation, visualization and remote monitoring of water and wastewater plants. In the constant search for sustainable alternatives for our customers, we became aware of Flowchief in 2010 and entered into a partnership in 2013 after careful checks and tests. Compared to the other systems, the technologically convincing software appealed to us very much. In contrast to our competitors, we want to supply our customers with systems that are individually tailored to their needs. With FlowChief this is perfectly feasible. The support is to be emphasized in relation to the other suppliers, since here you can communicate without long waiting times directly with competent coworkers. We are absolutely convinced of the future-oriented development of the software and of the efficiency of the FlowChief team.

Dipl.-Ing. Christian Schön

Managing Director Geal mbH

SCADA – Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition

Almost every modern large-scale plant, but also plants and systems in many small and medium-sized companies, are controlled and monitored in one way or another with a SCADA system. The long form of the name – Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition – describes precisely what the system is intended for, namely to control and collect data. In contrast to pure visualization, data processing in operational diaries and reports is an elementary component of a SCADA system.

SCADA solutions like FlowChief are therefore not only to be found in widespread water and wastewater systems but also operate at energy suppliers, photovoltaic plants, facility management, in medium-sized biogas plants or in large building complexes.

SCADA

Technology What FlowChief does for you

Technology What FlowChief does for you

Why FlowChief?

One-For-All One system – all solutions