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Data Historian

Unlocking Industrial Intelligence: The Power of Data Historians

Given the rigorous demands of today’s industrial operations, efficiency, optimization and real-time decision-making are crucial. Manufacturers, energy producers and process industries are constantly seeking ways to harness the vast amounts of data generated by their operations. This is where the concept of a data historian becomes not just beneficial, but essential.

A data historian is a specialized software system designed to collect, store and manage vast quantities of time-series data from industrial processes. Think of it as a meticulously organized digital archive, capturing every temperature fluctuation, pressure reading, flow rate and valve position, all timestamped for precise historical context. This isn't just raw data; it's the raw material for deep operational insights.

 

Why Are Data Historians Critical for Industry?

The sheer volume and velocity of data in industrial environments can be overwhelming. Without a robust system to manage it, valuable information can be lost or remain siloed. Data historians address this challenge by providing a centralized, high-performance repository for operational data. Here's why they are so crucial:

  • Real-time Visibility and Monitoring: Data historians continuously collect data, providing immediate insights into current operations. This real-time accessibility allows operators and engineers to monitor process variables, identify anomalies and respond swiftly to deviations.
  • Enhanced Operational Efficiency: By capturing continuous data on machine performance, energy consumption and production output, data historians enable fine-tuning of operations. Analyzing historical trends helps identify inefficiencies, optimize resource allocation and reduce waste.
  • Improved Data-Driven Decision Making: With accurate, contextualized and time-stamped records, engineers and plant managers can make informed decisions about process optimization, product quality and resource allocation. This leads to more effective troubleshooting and continuous improvement.
  • Reduced Downtime and Maintenance Costs: Data historians are the backbone of predictive and prescriptive maintenance strategies. By continuously analyzing equipment performance and identifying early warning signs of potential failures (such as unusual vibrations or temperature spikes), organizations can schedule maintenance proactively, preventing costly unplanned outages.
  • Compliance and Reporting: Many industries face stringent regulatory requirements. Data historians provide a verifiable audit trail of operational data, simplifying compliance reporting and demonstrating adherence to quality and safety standards.
  • Foundation for Advanced Analytics and Industrial AI: The rich, historical dataset provided by a data historian is the perfect fuel for advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence models. This enables organizations to uncover deeper patterns, predict future outcomes and drive autonomous operations.

Aspen InfoPlus.21®: A Leading Industrial Data Foundation

Among the leading solutions in the data historian space is Aspen InfoPlus.21 (IP.21). Developed by AspenTech, a global leader in industrial software, Aspen IP.21 is a robust and flexible industrial process data historian and real-time application platform. It's designed to meet the rigorous demands of enterprises seeking to evolve their industrial data foundations for enterprise-wide intelligence. By standardizing on Aspen IP.21 for data integration and performance insights across its manufacturing sites, Cabot realized significant benefits, including:

  • Improved quality by 30%
  • Reduced product variability by 20%
  • Created a foundation for continuous improvement projects
  • Provided data and knowledge sharing across plants

 

Aspen InfoPlus.21 stands out with a comprehensive set of features engineered for industrial excellence:

  • Flexible and Scalable Infrastructure: Aspen IP.21 offers a 64-bit process historian with virtually unlimited archival storage. It's built to collect data from a multitude of sources, including automation and control systems (DCS, PLC, SCADA), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems like SAP, other historians and various third-party applications. This ensures that no valuable data remains stranded.
  • High-Performance Data Collection and Storage: Designed for high-frequency and high-volume data, Aspen IP.21 can handle steady-state write speeds of up to 50,000 points per second and accommodate systems with over 1 million real-time records and custom objects. Its efficient data compression techniques optimize storage while maintaining data integrity.
  • Real-time Traceability and Visualization: Aspen IP.21 provides a comprehensive view of productivity with real-time dashboards and rich visualizations through tools like aspenONE Process Explorer™. This web-based user interface allows users to easily navigate through historical and real-time data, identify bottlenecks and take immediate action.
  • Integrated Calculation Engine: A powerful, integrated calculation engine with built-in predefined functions allows for complex calculations and the creation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Statistical Process/Quality Control (SPC/SQC) information and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). This transforms raw data into actionable metrics.
  • Contextualized Data and Master Data Management: Aspen IP.21 features integrated search indexing and master data management, providing contextual structure to tag data for fast discovery. This means data isn't just numbers; it's associated with specific assets, processes and locations, making it truly meaningful.
  • Seamless Integration and Connectivity: With secured interfaces including OPC, ODBC, COM and Rest services, Aspen IP.21 ensures high-performance connectivity for data collection from diverse assets, regardless of their age or location. This robust interoperability facilitates data exchange with other enterprise applications and cloud platforms. Connectivity of IP.21 historian data to AspenTech Inmation™ provides true enterprise data aggregation and contextualization. This capability is managed centrally, easy to set up, deploy and maintain.
  • Support for Event and Batch Process Data: Beyond continuous time-series data, Aspen IP.21, with Aspen Production Record Manager™, also effectively aggregates event and batch process data. This is crucial for industries with batch-oriented production, ensuring quality assurance and comprehensive traceability.

 

“A complicated process that should have taken us months, took just days with AspenTech. Migrating our data could have been cumbersome, expensive and labor-intensive. However, in record time, AspenTech helped us seamlessly migrate our historical data to its scalable data historian, which has now become fundamental to improving our overall data infrastructure.” – Rahul Bhavsar, Global Service Delivery Manager, DuPont

 

The Future of Industrial Data

Data historians like Aspen InfoPlus.21 are more than just data storage solutions; they are foundational elements for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Industrial AI and Industry 4.0. By providing a secure, scalable, and accessible repository of operational data, they empower organizations to:

  • Optimize Production: Identify and eliminate inefficiencies, improve yields and reduce operational costs.
  • Enhance Product Quality: Monitor process variables to ensure consistent product quality and reduce defects.
  • Improve Safety and Environmental Performance: Analyze operational data to identify potential risks, improve safety protocols and monitor environmental compliance.
  • Integrated Calculation Engine: A powerful, integrated calculation engine with built-in predefined functions allows for complex calculations and the creation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Statistical Process/Quality Control (SPC/SQC) information and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). This transforms raw data into actionable metrics.
  • Drive Digital Transformation: Lay the groundwork for advanced analytics, Industrial AI and machine learning to unlock new levels of automation, predictive capabilities and business intelligence.

In an era where data is the new oil, a robust data historian like Aspen InfoPlus.21 ensures that industrial enterprises not only collect this invaluable resource but also transform it into actionable intelligence, driving continuous improvement and sustainable growth.

 

FAQs

What is a data historian and why is it essential for industrial operations?

A data historian is a specialized software system designed to collect, store and manage vast quantities of time-series data from industrial processes. It's essential because it provides a meticulously organized digital archive of operational data (like temperature, pressure, flow rates), which is crucial for real-time visibility, enhanced efficiency, data-driven decision-making, reduced downtime, compliance and as a foundation for advanced analytics and AI.

What specific challenges in industrial environments do data historians address?

Data historians address the overwhelming volume and velocity of data in industrial settings by providing a centralized, high-performance repository. This prevents valuable information from being lost or siloed, enabling effective management and utilization of operational data.

How do data historians contribute to real-time visibility and monitoring?

Data historians continuously collect data, offering immediate insights into current operations. This real-time accessibility allows operators and engineers to monitor process variables, identify anomalies and respond swiftly to deviations, ensuring proactive management of industrial processes.

Can data historians help reduce downtime and maintenance costs?

Yes, data historians are fundamental to predictive and prescriptive maintenance strategies. By continuously analyzing equipment performance and identifying early warning signs of potential failures, such as unusual vibrations or temperature spikes, organizations can schedule maintenance proactively, preventing costly unplanned outages.

How do data historians support compliance and reporting requirements in regulated industries?

Data historians provide a verifiable audit trail of operational data, simplifying compliance reporting and demonstrating adherence to stringent quality and safety standards required in many industries.

What role do data historians play in enabling advanced analytics and Industrial AI?

The rich, historical dataset provided by a data historian is the ideal fuel for advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence models. This enables organizations to uncover deeper patterns, predict future outcomes and drive autonomous operations.

What is Aspen InfoPlus.21 (IP.21)?

Aspen InfoPlus.21 (IP.21) is a leading industrial process data historian and real-time application platform developed by AspenTech. It's designed to meet the rigorous demands of enterprises seeking to evolve their industrial data foundations for enterprise-wide intelligence.

What are some key features that make Aspen InfoPlus.21 (IP.21) stand out? Aspen IP.21 offers a comprehensive set of features, including:

  • Flexible and scalable infrastructure with virtually unlimited archival storage
  • High-performance data collection and storage (up to 50,000 points per second)
  • Real-time traceability and visualization through tools like aspenONE Process Explorer™
  • An integrated calculation engine for KPIs, SPC/SQC and OEE
  • Contextualized data and master data management for fast discovery
  • Seamless integration and connectivity with diverse assets and enterprise applications
  • Support for both continuous time-series and event/batch process data

Can Aspen InfoPlus.21 (IP.21) integrate with existing industrial systems like DCS, PLC, SCADA and ERP?

Yes, Aspen IP.21 is built to collect data from a multitude of sources, including automation and control systems (DCS, PLC, SCADA), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems like SAP, other historians and various third-party applications, ensuring no valuable data remains stranded.

How does Aspen InfoPlus.21 (IP.21) help transform raw data into actionable metrics?

Aspen IP.21 has a powerful, integrated calculation engine with built-in predefined functions. This engine allows for complex calculations and the creation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Statistical Process/Quality Control (SPC/SQC) information and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), transforming raw data into actionable insights.

What is the significance of contextualized data in Aspen InfoPlus.21 (IP.21)? Aspen IP.21 features integrated search indexing and master data management, providing contextual structure to tag data for fast discovery. This means data is associated with specific assets, processes and locations, making it truly meaningful and easier to interpret for decision-making.

How does Aspen InfoPlus.21 (IP.21) contribute to digital transformation and Industry 4.0 initiatives?

Data historians like Aspen IP.21 are foundational elements for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Industrial AI and Industry 4.0. By providing a secure, scalable and accessible repository of operational data, they lay the groundwork for advanced analytics, machine learning, new levels of automation, predictive capabilities and business intelligence.