Siemens and Exida.com Introduce Safety Utility
ATLANTA, June 13, 2006 - Process industry end users and integrators can now slash safety lifecycle engineering time by 50 percent with a new import utility tool, the exSILentia Import Utility, from Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. and exida.com.
The exSILentia Import Utility integrates the exida.com exSILentia® tool with Siemens SIMATIC Safety Matrix(TM) to deliver a comprehensive utility that will manage the entire safety lifecycle and reduce the potential for human error.
The process safety lifecycle, otherwise known as the steps to ensure safety in process plants, is defined in IEC 61511 and ANSI/ISA 84.00.01-2004 standards.
The exSILentia tool suite is a commercial software tool that enhances the upfront analysis phase of the safety lifecycle, including Safety Integrity Level (SIL) verification of Safety Instrumented Functions (SIFs). The SIMATIC Safety Matrix innovative cause and effect toolset helps users with later stages of the lifecycle, including design, commissioning, and operations and maintenance requirements.
"The exSILentia Import Utility is another example of Siemens focus on giving our customers innovative product benefits," said John Cusimano, Siemens Process Safety Systems business manager. "It gives our customers a step-by-step utility to enhance safety in process plants. The tool also significantly reduces engineering hours and minimizes data translation errors."
The exSILentia Import Utility is a free tool that provides an automated interface between exSILentia and Safety Matrix. Once the SIL selection and SIL verification processes are complete within exSILentia, the data is exported from exSILentia and run through the utility to create a cause and effect diagram. The diagram is then viewed and edited with the Safety Matrix software.
The Safety Matrix is compiled and downloaded to the SIMATIC S7-400FH process safety system, programming the system without additional engineering. Additionally, the Safety Matrix automatically generates operator and maintenance tools.
"A key document in the safety requirements specification for most Safety Instrumented Systems (SISs) is the cause and effect matrix", said Bill Goble, exida.com's principle partner. "Integration with the SIMATIC Safety Matrix gives our customers the unprecedented ability to automatically generate a cause and effect matrix directly from the results of their SIL verification efforts."
About Siemens
Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. is one of Siemens' operating companies in the U.S. Headquartered in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, Ga., Siemens Energy & Automation manufactures and markets one of the world's broadest ranges of electrical and electronic products, systems and services to industrial and construction market customers. Its technologies range from circuit protection and energy management systems to process control, industrial software and totally integrated automation solutions. The company also has expertise in systems integration, technical services and turnkey industrial systems. For more information: www.sea.siemens.com.
Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) is one of the largest global electronics and engineering companies with reported worldwide sales of $96 billion in fiscal 2005. Founded nearly 160 years ago, the company is a leader in the areas of Medical, Power, Automation and Control, Transportation, Information and Communications, Lighting, Building Technologies, Water Technologies and Services and Home Appliances. With its U.S. corporate headquarters in New York City, Siemens in the USA has sales of $18.8 billion and employs 70,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Eleven of Siemens' worldwide businesses are based in the United States. With its global headquarters in Munich, Siemens AG and its subsidiaries employ 460,000 people in 190 countries. For more information on Siemens in the United States: www.usa.siemens.com.
CONTACT:
Michael Krampe
(770) 751-2211
michael.krampe@siemens.com
Steve Bender
865-539-6751
spencebender@comcast.net
