October 21, 2008 - Malvern Instruments is participating in the newly-formed OPC Analyzer Device Integration Working Group. The group has been constituted to develop a common method for data exchange and an analyzer data model for process and laboratory analyzers. It comprises interested members of the OPC Foundation, an organisation dedicated to ensuring interoperability in automation via open standards.
Both instrument manufacturers and industrial users of analytical instrumentation are represented on the Working Group which currently comprises: ABB; Abbott; Arla Foods Global IT; BRL Consulting; CAS; GlaxoSmithKline; Malvern Process Systems; Mettler-Toledo Autochem, Inc.; OPC Foundation; Pfizer Inc; Siemens nv; Software Toolbox, Inc.; and Umetrics. Oliver Schmitt, Business Line Manager for Malvern Process Systems feels that working in close co-operation with all parties is extremely important. “With the current focus on process optimization, and with initiatives such as PAT pushing forward analyzer integration, it is vital that we develop the standard interfaces needed to achieve co-ordination and control of systems from different companies,” he said.
“Right now there are no standard solutions, but as a leader in on-line particle size analysis across the process industries, Malvern looks forward to playing an active role in their development.”The Working Group is adopting OPC-UA (Unified Architecture) as the basis for the Analyzer Device Integration (ADI) standard and aims to define a compatible data model. OPC-UA has the advantages of being a platform-neutral standard designed to support complex data types and object models; it can achieve high speed data transfers and has broad industry support beyond simply process automation.
About Malvern Instruments
Malvern Instruments provides a range of complementary materials characterization tools that deliver inter-related measurements reflecting the complexities of particulates and disperse systems, nanomaterials and macromolecules. Analytical instruments from Malvern are used in the characterization of a wide variety of materials, from industrial bulk powders to the latest nanomaterials and delicate macromolecules. A broad portfolio of innovative technologies is combined with intelligent, user-friendly software.
These systems deliver industrially relevant data enabling our customers to make the connection between micro (such as particle size) and macro (bulk) material properties (rheology) and chemical composition (chemical imaging).Particle size distribution, particle shape information, zeta potential, molecular weight, chemical composition, and bulk materials properties can all be determined with instruments from the Malvern range. The company’s laboratory, at-line, on-line and in-line solutions are proven in sectors as diverse as cement production and pharmaceutical drug discovery.
Headquartered in Malvern, UK, Malvern Instruments has subsidiary organizations in all major European markets, North America, China, Korea and Japan, a joint venture in India, a global distributor network and applications laboratories around the world.