DigiFactory · Alarms and notifications

Alarm management for lines and machines, with first-out and a way to survive a flood.

A drive trips and thirty alarms follow it. DigiFactory marks the first one, groups the rest and keeps the screen usable. Every alarm has a priority, an owner and a ladder of who is called next. Shelving needs a reason and a time limit, and every other message is a notice, summarised on a schedule.

Describe one line

From a trip to normal

A limit is set once.
Each alarm has its limit, its deadband and its on and off delays, with a reason for each, so it neither chatters nor stays silent.
The source raises it.
The PLC's own alarm, a device alarm or a rule over several readings: one source for each alarm, and no duplicates.
First-out marks the cause.
When a trip sets off a run of alarms, the first one is marked and the others are grouped under it, so the cause is on top and the summary stays readable through a flood. A person acknowledges with a name and a time.
It is shelved or put out of service.
A shelved alarm has a reason and a time limit. Putting an alarm out of service for maintenance needs a second person.

Your plantAlarms10:42DDanaProduction lead

Active4Priority, then time

Not acknowledged3Each has an owner

Last 10 minutes9Flood above 10

Shelved2Each with a time limit

Alarm summary5First out marks the cause

Priority	Time	Alarm	State	Owner
Critical	10:24	First out Filler F-3 drive tripped: overcurrent10:24 · F3.DRV.TRIP	Active, not acknowledged	Tariq
Critical	10:25	Product tank temperature high-high: 92 °C, limit 85 °C10:25 · F3.TANK.TT-02	Active, acknowledged	Dana
High	10:26	Filling stopped: no bottles moving10:26 · FL1.FILL.STOP	Active, acknowledged	Dana
Medium	10:30	Capper 2 torque out of range10:30 · CAP2.TORQUE	Active, not acknowledged	Tariq
Low	10:35	Compressed air pressure below its warning level10:35 · FL1.AIR.PT-01	Returned, not acknowledged	Tariq

Acknowledge allShelve

Shelved2

Bottle photo-eye 12 flickerFL1.PE-12. Label roll change.DanaBack at 10:55shelved 10:10

Mixer 1 level switch noiseMIX1.LS-02. Cleaning in place.DanaBack at 11:00shelved 09:50

If nobody acts5

Alarm	Owner	Next step
F3.DRV.TRIP	Tariq	Dana at 10:29, then the plant manager at 10:39
F3.TANK.TT-02	Dana	Plant manager at 10:40
FL1.FILL.STOP	Dana	Plant manager at 10:41
CAP2.TORQUE	Tariq	Dana at 10:50
FL1.AIR.PT-01	Tariq	Drops off the list when acknowledged

Alarm summary for a lineFind the alarm that started a trip, not the ones it set off. See who owns each alarm, what is shelved and until when, and who it goes to next if nobody acts.

Alarms and notices on the line

What they are

AlarmsA drive trip, a temperature past its limit, a machine stopped.

NoticesA work order waiting for a release, a kit short, a changeover due.

Who hears first

AlarmsThe owner on shift, then the next person up the ladder.

NoticesWhoever reads the summary.

What shelves them

AlarmsA reason and a time limit.

NoticesA schedule your team chooses.

Nothing stands between a raise and a person.

Summaries and groupings only order what is shown. They never delay, batch or hide an alarm.

Every alarm has an owner, and a ladder.

If the owner doesn't answer, the next person is called, then the supervisor. Set per alarm and per shift, so a trip on the night shift goes to whoever holds the night.

An alarm goes to its owner, then the next person, then the supervisor, and it can be shelved on the side only with a reason and a time limit.

Where each part stands

Parts of alarms and notifications and where each stands
Part	Where it stands
Alarm management in the ISA-18.2 way	Designed
An owner and an escalation ladder on every alert	Designed
Notices summarised, never alarms	Designed
Alarm health measures	Designed

Around alarms and notifications

Operator screensEvery line screen carries its alarm summary.Equipment and controlThe machines that raise them.Lines and machinesPLCs and conveyors beside the orders.

Questions

Do we have to rationalise every alarm first?

No. Start with the alarms that trouble your operators most. Each one gets its cause, its response and its priority as you go.

Does it replace the machine's own alarms?

No. The machine's alarm stays the source, and DigiFactory adds the priority, the owner and the ladder.

Tell us which line floods.

We'll set up first-out and the ladder for it.