isoPlan – Digital “Isolation Plans
Mineral Blue (Steve Asher), Momentum Engineering Pty Ltd (Jon Laffer) and iSOL8 Pty Ltd (Craig Power) are pleased to announce the launch of innovative technology isoPlan (Patent Pending) for designing and storage of digitally generated Lock Out Tag Out “Isolation Plans”, which will be showcased for the first time at the Australian Oil and Gas (AOG) conference in Perth 14th to the 16th March 2018
Isolations
Isolations are the isolation of equipment from hazards. Isolation plans consist of actions performed on parts of plant or equipment. Automating isolations is a longstanding industrial problem. isoPlan is a generalised repository for isolation information and stored in a standard way that can be easily shared by any enterprise.
Information Silos
Isolation information typically begins at the time of equipment design, where manufacturers incorporate this into computer-aided drafting (CAD) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. That information is often lost to operators, resulting in the continuous re-development of isolation plans.
In this way, CAD and ERP systems can become information silos.
Data Lakes
Using isoPlan, isolation information contained in these systems is published to a centralised repository using upstream adapters, by means of an application programming interface [API]. isoPlan then provides tools for isolation planners to visually build isolation plans, with the drawings and the device information in front of them in dropdown lists. Finally, isoPlan enables operators to download the finished plans from the repository using downstream adapters, as structured information for their own systems, or as PDF documents.
Thus, the contents of information silos are emptied into a data lake.
Open APIs
isoPlan is intended as an open system. We’ll publish upstream and downstream APIs that enable developers to build their own interfaces to the isoPlan system.
For example, isoPlan already enables CAD developers to extend the databases of smart drawing systems (using a Software Development Toolkit (SDK) that forms part of the API) so that they can be used to store isolation plans directly. This means manufacturers can build finished isolation plans directly into the drawings of plant, and then push them directly to operators.
The ability to extend smart drawings to precisely capture isolations is an important innovation in its own right.
Core Data Model
The secret sauce at the heart of isoPlan is a core data model that simplifies and generalises isolation processes.
Although isolations may be of unlimited complexity (consisting of many individual steps), in the present invention they are modelled using just four entities: Equipment, Task, Isolation Point and Action. This simple model enables any isolation processes of any complexity to be easily stored and shared.
Who will use this system?
The possibilities are endless:
- Equipment manufacturers can publish isolation plans in the repository, or push isolation plans to owners.
- Owners can modify their plans to show modifications and store the modified plans in the repository.
- EPCM companies can keep a central repository of isolation information and share that information with contractors and subcontractors.
- Large enterprises can share isolation information with projects globally.
- Small enterprises can use isoPlan as a repository for the isolations they develop.
Demonstration Suite
In our demonstration suite (which we will debut at this year’s AOG conference in Perth) we connect three systems using isoPlan:
- Plant3D is a 3D modelling and virtual reality system.
- iSOL8 automates isolation processes in the field.
- Mineral Blue is a Safe Work (iSSoW) system.
In our demonstration, we:
- Extract a complete isolation plan from Plant3d using our open-source demo adapter.
- Modify the plan in the repository, using our Visual Designer.
- Generate and authorise permits from the plan in Mineral Blue.
- Authorise the plan in iSOL8.
- Perform the isolation in the field using the suite of iSOL8 mobile apps.
- Display the isolation in real time using the same Plant3D system that provided the drawing.
End-to-end, and back again!
Security
isoPlan is built on the same platform and with the same security model as iSOL8 and Mineral Blue. Customers subscribe, and can them manage their own usernames, passwords and roles. It is in every respect a robust, finished, enterprise cloud system.
Next Steps
- isoPlan is a fully working system.
- We’ll demonstrate at AOG, enabling visitors to explore the full range of isolation activities, hand-on with devices and virtual reality headsets.
- We’ll trial the system extensively in Momentum projects.
- We’ll go full live to the market later in 2018.
Consortium
- Momentum Engineering
- iSOL8 Systems
- Mineral Blue
isoPlan will be provided to the market as a Momentum Engineering product and trialled in the Momentum Engineering business.
The dev team is Steve Asher (Mineral Blue), Craig Power (iSOL8 Pty Ltd), Mark Chamberlin, Jeffrey Snelgar, Chris Clayton, Jon Laffer (Momentum Engineering) and Doug Bester (Sentient Computing).