Revolutionizing DCS Migration Through Digital Twin Technology

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Challenge

A global market-leading food and beverage manufacturer needed to replace its obsolete Distributed Control System with a modern, future-ready platform. The critical nature of the continuous production process meant that traditional migration approaches, requiring extended downtime for system testing and operator training, would severely impact its operations. The complex process environment, spanning numerous P&IDs and thousands of control points, also demanded a sophisticated transition approach to maintain production stability.

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Solution

AG Solution engineered a digital twin environment that mirrored the facility's control architecture. This virtual replica served multiple crucial functions:

• The digital twin did not require extensive physical system testing but enabled comprehensive I/O validation before deployment. Our team developed a sophisticated simulation framework that could replicate exact process behaviors, from basic valve operations to complex process interactions.
• The environment included advanced snapshot management capabilities, allowing operators to practice various scenarios—from routine startups to fault conditions—without risking actual production. This feature proved invaluable for building operator confidence in the new control philosophy and interface.

Results

Our experts achieved an 80% reduction in migration-related downtime through this approach. The comprehensive operator training in the simulated environment improved product quality immediately after startup, eliminating the typical post-migration adjustment period. Most critically, it enabled parallel validation of existing and new control systems, ensuring perfect alignment of I/O behavior before the physical migration began.

The project delivered a permanent digital twin asset that continues to serve multiple purposes: ongoing operator training, testing of process optimizations, and validation of future system modifications. This success has established a new benchmark for executing critical control system migrations in the food and beverage industry, where production continuity is paramount.