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 Confirmation of Plant Maintenance Data Locate this document in the navigation structure

Use

You can use this function to report measurement and counter readings taken in feeder systems (such as process control systems) to the Plant Maintenance (PM) application component using the PI-PCS Interface . When unforeseen events occur, such as malfunctions within the plant, you can also send a malfunction report to plant maintenance. This enables a quick response to the situation. You do so by creating a process message.

This function enables you to perform planned and condition-based maintenance of technical objects during production.

  • Planned Maintenance

    You can use planned monitoring and maintenance of objects to react to legal or environmental requirements, or manufacturer recommendations by documenting measurement data in measurement documents.

    For more information, see Measurement Document .

  • Condition-Based Maintenance

    Condition-based maintenance enables you to use malfunction reports to identify and rectify unplanned conditions such as malfunctions or damages in time.

    Example Example

    You want to report the operating hours of your production line to plant maintenance. In plant maintenance, maintenance plan scheduling was used to specify the time interval at which the production line must be maintained (for example, every 2000 operating hours). You can use a message of category PI_PMMD to report the operating hours to plant maintenance.

    If the line does not function properly, you can send a malfunction report in addition to the measurement data. The malfunction report requires the maintenance department to solve the problem.

    End of the example.

    For more information, see Malfunction Report .

Generally, the PM-PCS interface must be used to transfer this maintenance data to plant maintenance. This function enables companies that use PP-PI and a process control system that has been certified for the PI-PCS interface to use only one interface to transfer both their production data and maintenance data to the SAP system.

Integration

You can transfer measurement and counter readings to the SAP system as follows:

  • They are automatically recorded by the process control system. This means that a process message subscription must have been defined for the process control system. It is used to send the confirmations for all measurement readings taken at specific measuring points in the process control system to plant maintenance.

  • They are taken by the line operator and manually entered in the PI sheet. This means that a process data request must have been defined for the PI sheet. It is used to report the recorded measurement readings to plant maintenance.

Customizing of the SAP reference client contains several sample process instruction categories for the confirmation of maintenance data. For general information on process instructions, see Process Instructions .

Prerequisites

To perform the planned and condition-based maintenance of technical objects, you must have defined a maintenance plan in plant maintenance. The maintenance plan defines the dates and the scope of the maintenance tasks.

See also:

PM - Maintenance Planning

Features

You use message category PI_PMMD and message destination PI16 to confirm maintenance data. Process instruction category PM_MDOC is available in the standard system.

The following sections describe what you must bear in mind when you create the process messages.

Required Message Data

For the SAP system to be able to process the message, you must include the following data in the message:

  • Name of the data point (measuring point) or secondary index for measuring point

    For the system to be able to create a measurement document, you must either specify the measuring point/ counter at which the measurement reading is taken or a secondary index for the measuring point. The secondary index is the measurement position maintained for the measuring point. The measurement position is used to identify the measuring point. Measurement positions are descriptive names that describe the position of a measuring point at an object or in the production line.

  • Value of the data point (measurement reading)

    For measuring points that are defined as counters, you must specify the counter reading.

    For measuring points that are not defined as counters, you must either enter the measurement reading to be reported or the valuation code . In Customizing, you can determine whether the measurement document must include either a measurement reading or a valuation code or both.

    • The measurement reading is used for a quantitative valuation (for example, "25 degrees Celsius").

    • The valuation code is used for a qualitative valuation (for example, "temperature is normal"). If you use a valuation code, the system automatically determines the relevant code group and code catalog based on the measuring point.

      The system only accepts the following values:

    • Numerical value for quantitative valuation

    • Character strings for qualitative valuation

Additional Message Data

You can include the following additional data in the message:

  • Measuring point: counter difference

    The system either calculates the counter reading difference or the current counter reading. By setting the X indicator, you specify that the counter reading reported is to be interpreted as the difference between the present and the last counter reading. If you do not set the indicator, the system interprets the value entered as the absolute counter reading.

    Example Example

    Process control systems usually represent counters that take counter readings (for example, machine hours). If the last counter reading was 1000 hours and 200 hours were now reported in the process message with the Counter difference indicator being set, the total counter reading is now 1200 hours.

    If you want to report the current counter reading, report 1200 hours in the process message and do not set the Counter difference indicator.

    In both cases, the system automatically calculates the difference of 200 hours and shows it in the measuring point.

    End of the example.

  • Date and time

    • In process message subscriptions for the process control system, the process control system should transfer the date and time of the reading.

    • In process data requests for the PI sheet, the system time of the SAP system is used.

  • Type of maintenance notification

    If you want to send a malfunction report in addition to the measurement or counter reading, you must enter the corresponding notification type. The system does not create a malfunction report unless you explicitly specify a notification type. If you do not specify a notification type, the system only creates a measurement document in plant maintenance. Apart from the malfunction report, you can also use several other notification types.

    For more information, see PM - Maintenance Notifications .

  • Priority of malfunction report

    In Customizing, you define the time frame during which the problem must be solved after notification recording for each priority. The system then calculates the start and end dates for the maintenance task. You can define further priorities in Customizing in addition to the priority values contained in the standard system.

  • Unit of measure

    Here, you enter the unit of the recorded value or counter reading. If you do not specify a unit, the system uses the unit stored for the measuring point or counter in the SAP system.

    If you use a different unit, the system automatically converts it. The system can only do this if:

    • You have defined the unit in Customizing

    • The unit you have entered and the unit defined for the measuring point are of the same dimension (for example, degree Celsius, Fahrenheit)

  • Source

    Here, you enter the source where the measurement reading comes from.

    • If the measurement reading was taken manually, this can be the name of the person who took the reading.

    • If the reading was taken by a process control system, this can be the ID of that system.

  • Material description

    You can enter any short text for the message. If you have not defined valuation codes in Customizing, you can also use the short text to enter a description of the malfunction.

  • User data

    Here, you can enter further customer-specific data.

Consistency Checks

When processing the messages, the system checks whether the values they contain are valid and consistent with one another. If an inconsistency (for example, an invalid measuring point) is discovered:

  • The system writes a corresponding system message to the message log

  • The system sets the process message status Destination erro r or Sent with warning

Measurement Document Number

The system assigns a unique measurement document number to each notification as well as a malfunction report number if required. These numbers are written to the message log.