Many challenges faced by the chemical industry, such as achieving increased flexibility and faster time-to-market, necessitate enhancing the interoperability and standardization of automation systems. Modular automation offers a viable solution to these challenges.
The Module Type Package (MTP) provides a standard, manufacturer-independent description of aspects of the automation of a process plant unit to ensure efficient integration into a process orchestration layer (POL). This concept is considered an enabler for modular production. The MTP standard described in Ref. 1 is one of a series of standardization documents either about to be published, in draft or being planned as next steps. The MTP concept solves one of the key challenges—enhancing automated integration of process plant units—for achieving an economically viable approach for modular production.
Package units of non-modular plants have similar complexity in terms of integration. Therefore, this method not only is useful for modular production but also for fast and correct integration of package units into conventional automation systems, which speeds up the engineering work and reduces costs.
