CHALLENGE
Due to concerns regarding data integrity and potential impact on their process and reputation, the Town of Clifton Park, NY Water Authority decided to replace their old software. The legacy software had issues with intermittent communications and trend archiving, posing a risk to the highly regulated drinking water treatment process.
SOLUTION
FrameworX impressed the water authority with its modern interface and comprehensive set of features, which encompassed both the development environment and runtime features. Additionally, the software provided flexible client options, including support for phone and tablet clients in addition to traditional PCs.
We were very skeptical that we could shut down our old SCADA system and startup FrameworX
without downtime. The change over process exceeded our expectations and FactoryStudio has been
running smoothly ever since.
Ron Marshall, Water Authority Superintendent
RESULTS
By providing flexibility and efficiency in day-to-day operations, FrameworX simplifies they day-to-day processes. Furthermore, the underlying technology ensures that the software is not only a viable solution in the present, but also capable of meeting the company’s future needs.
Decrease in costs: The Water Authority was able to transition from their previous SCADA vendor to Tatsoft’s FactoryStudio at a comparable cost to upgrading their outdated software due to the software’s price structure. Additionally, this cost benefit extends to the software’s overall cost of ownership.
Increased security: Utilizing the .NET environment offers a secure platform that not only ensures compatibility with current Windows versions but also with future releases.
“The trending display tools in FrameworX allowed us to create a custom trend page that provides
exactly the information I need to see to be able to track and predict system operations.”
Nate Clark, Assistant Water Plant Operator
About Clifton Park
Our client was the Water Authority for the suburban town of Clifton Park, located in Saratoga County, New York, USA. They were responsible for treating the drinking water sourced from multiple wells scattered across a wide geographic area. To automate this process, they used a legacy SCADA system that controlled the storage tanks and valves. However, the system had intermittent communications and trend archiving problems, making it difficult to obtain a complete historical view of data and raising concerns about data integrity.
This was particularly concerning given the highly regulated nature of the drinking water industry, and the need for accurate and real-time information across all stations to ensure proper process functioning.
FrameworX came through
Teamwork Solutions, the project’s system integrator, introduced FrameworX to the Water Authority. The software’s underlying .NET technology proved to be an intriguing choice, as it ensured compatibility not only with the current Windows version but with future releases as well. The software’s flexibility in supporting different client types, including phone/tablet clients and traditional PCs, was also important, allowing agents to access information from the field.
Compared to the legacy system, FrameworX offered a more modern interface and feature set, encompassing both the development environment and runtime features, as well as various security options.
FrameworX currently interfaces with Sixnet RTUs, Modicon PLCs, and Rockwell PLCs, leveraging a cellular router-based VPN network to communicate with remote stations. The ability to fine-tune polling rates for individual devices made it easy to select poll rates tailored to each remote station’s unique connection speed.
“The FrameworX migration went very smoothly, and the system performance exceeds the performance of our previous SCADA system.”
— Corey Golden, Chief Water Plant Operator
Teamwork Solutions: the Tatsoft System Integrator Partner
Since 1991, Teamwork Solutions, Inc. has been an Automation Solutions Provider specializing in SCADA Systems, I/O Systems, and Industrial Communications devices. They offer a range of services, including sales, support, training, and configuration for applications in these areas. Their mission is to provide customers with tailored products and services that align with their control and monitoring goals by gaining an in-depth understanding of their specific needs.
User nodes
Server PC — future use will include remote client connections via a secure VPN connection.
Tags/communication points
Roughly 1,500 tags including about 1,200 communication points.
Engineering time
Approximately 1 week, plus 3 days of onsite setup.