Optimisation of Field Device Life-Cycle in Process Automation by a flexible Component-based Function Management

Flexible production tasks in modern process plants, changes of production strategies, the ongoing development of field devices, changing applications of the process control and operation management level highly require an optimally adaptive field device functionality. A flexible device functionality is especially motivated by its extension with innovative device and process diagnostics, considering deployment specifics of the technical place. In terms of automation of automation, the providing of explorable field device functionality is one precondition to realise automated, distributed applications in process control engineering. The paper describes a concept of a component based function management of field devices, realising a dual field device functionality: the precise fulfilment of its conventional task and the provision of a window to the process enabling flexible functional device extensions. A flexible component based function management leads to a reduction of engineering investments on field device manufacturer and plant operator side.