Increasing degrees of automation, new system functionalities, larger plants, more flexible production processes – automation projects are becoming more complex all the time. To bring products to the market faster while maintaining a high quality level, it is essential to have integrated engineering workflows with short changeover and commissioning times. To meet the requirements for operating a plant in the glass industry, trained personnel is a key aspect to achieve production targets. However, on-the-job training while the plant is in operation is difficult, because various scenarios require fast and efficient reactions and new operators often do not have the necessary experience. Even experienced operators may have to be trained as a result of plant upgrades and testing of new exception scenarios. Exception scenarios, in particular, always pose a risk for personnel, environment or the plant itself and require the correct measure at just the right time.

Use SIMIT as virtual training environment to ensure various application options when training plant operators. Operating personnel can be trained even before commissioning the plant – with original operating screens and automation programs. A digital twin is created with the virtual controller, a controller that was especially developed for virtual commissioning and operator training. The automation program can then be simply downloaded to the emulated automation system in this Software-in-the-Loop configuration. All reproduceable training scenarios are available on call during ongoing operation. Any situation can be trained for realistically in the virtual environment without affecting production or endangering personnel, the environment or the plant. While SIMIT creates the ideal basis for protection and transfer of operating know-how. While the controller is simulated with Software-in-theLoop, the SIMIT UNIT is used to simulate the IO devices connected to the controller (Hardware-in-the-Loop). This way you can test your automation program with simulated process IO, even before commissioning.