Modelling an OPC UA client application for predictive maintenance support

Abstract

Predictive maintenance is a very important task for each industrial plant. The concept of Industry 4.0 can ensure this service, offering a clever combination of many technologies. This paper presents a method for deploying a software application that provides the maintenance personnel with a useful tool, allowing them to follow the parameters of the process and to prevent its failure. The application has a client-server structure and uses the open platform communications unified architecture (OPC UA) standard and unified architecture transport control protocol (UA TCP) for data communication. The application developed using the proposed method is meant to be a predictive maintenance tool for the blower station of a wastewater treatment plant, so that the maintenance personnel have the necessary data as system health indicators. The maintenance client software shows the personnel the current functional state of the process by synoptic screens. When the maintenance procedures require it, different process states or process parameter values can be accessed from a dedicated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) database and provide important information to the maintenance personnel (MP).