Siemens showed the latest release of its Simit simulation software, part of the Digital Enterprise portfolio for the process industries, for the first time at the Achema 2018. Version 10 of the software enables the flexible addition of functionalities such as new libraries, the Component Type Editor and Virtual Controllers. Used in combination with the new license structure, V10 offers improved software scalability tailored to any individual project size. This makes the use of simulation affordable right from the initial stage, as the pricing structure in place from Version 10 onwards takes into account the size of the simulated project. Another new feature is the dongle concept, which enables the number of dongles required to be significantly reduced in future depending on the specific application. Alongside this fundamentally new licensing concept, Simit V10 users also benefit from a number of functional upgrades. These include support for the S7 Redundancy Protocol in the Virtual Controller for the Simatic S7-400 as well as new components within the ChemBasic library for process simulation.
The application scope of Simit V10 extends beyond the process industries. Version 10 also brings added benefits for discrete manufacturers using the Simit performance spectrum, which together with the new Simatic Machine Simulator V1.0 creates the basis for isosynchronous coupling between the virtual PLC and simulation model. This enables complete machines to be virtually validated through the synchronous simulation of mechatronic models and behavioral sensor and actuator models, and also PLC applications to be emulated and ultimately also tested. By combining virtual controllers with device and mechanical behavior models, a digital twin of the physical application is created. This twin enables users to identify engineering errors at an early stage and fix them prior to actual commissioning – with all the associated efficiency benefits across every phase of a process or manufacturing plant’s life cycle. Ultimately, the same model can also be connected within Simit directly to a real controller for validation of an application using physical hardware.
The application scope of Simit V10 extends beyond the process industries. Version 10 also brings added benefits for discrete manufacturers using the Simit performance spectrum, which together with the new Simatic Machine Simulator V1.0 creates the basis for isosynchronous coupling between the virtual PLC and simulation model. This enables complete machines to be virtually validated through the synchronous simulation of mechatronic models and behavioral sensor and actuator models, and also PLC applications to be emulated and ultimately also tested. By combining virtual controllers with device and mechanical behavior models, a digital twin of the physical application is created. This twin enables users to identify engineering errors at an early stage and fix them prior to actual commissioning – with all the associated efficiency benefits across every phase of a process or manufacturing plant’s life cycle. Ultimately, the same model can also be connected within Simit directly to a real controller for validation of an application using physical hardware.
