Emulated controller
Your PLC program runs unchanged in an emulated controller (for Siemens S7-1500, PLCSIM Advanced) on our test systems, so we test the code that will run on site.
Industries: Agriculture, Automotive, Baggage Handling, Warehousing
Virtual commissioning
Commission it
before you ship it.
Your real PLC program, proven against a simulated plant, long before site.
Sound familiar?
Site is the worst place to find a bug
Site commissioning is the most expensive place to find a mistake. Crews wait, production waits, and logic gets fixed under pressure on live equipment. Virtual commissioning moves most of that work earlier: the real control program runs against a simulated plant, so sequences, interlocks and screens are proven before anyone travels.
The problemBugs found on site
The fixFound in the officeSequences, interlocks and alarms tested against a simulated plant.
The problemRisky live tests
The fixSimulate the failureTrip drives, fail sensors, lose comms: safely, as often as needed.
The problemInterfaces meet on day one
The fixMeet them earlyScreens and links tested before the equipment arrives.
The problemOperators see it at go-live
The fixSee it beforeYour team reviews screens and alarms in advance.
How it works
The real program, a simulated plant, every test recorded
We run your actual PLC program in an emulated controller and connect it to a simulation of your plant: equipment that responds, process values that move, and the operator screens that will run it. Sequences, interlocks, alarms and faults are tested and recorded long before installation, so site time is spent proving the real equipment, not debugging logic.
What we do
What virtual commissioning covers
Use it on a new system before factory acceptance, or on a running plant to prove a change before it is downloaded.
Simulated I/O and plant behaviour
Inputs are driven and equipment responds: motors run, valves move, levels and temperatures change. Process models close the loop with your controllers.
Industries: Agriculture, Baggage Handling, Building Services, Chemicals, Food and Beverage, Heat Treatment, Metals, Warehousing, Wastewater
SCADA and HMI against the simulation
Operator screens, alarms, trends and commands are connected to the emulated controller and tested end to end, before any panel is built.
Sequence, interlock and fault testing
Normal runs, holds, aborts, restarts, failed sensors and tripped drives, each tested against the functional specification and recorded.
Industries: Aerospace, Airports, Automotive, Chemicals, Clean Water, Food and Beverage, Heat Treatment, Mining and Quarrying, Oil and Gas, Pharmaceutical, Power
Changes to running plants
A copy of the program that runs today is simulated, so a modification is proven against it before it goes anywhere near your plant.
Industries: Airports, Building Services, Clean Water, Metals, Mining and Quarrying, Nuclear, Oil and Gas, Power, Rail, Wastewater
Witnessed tests and familiarisation
Your engineers can witness tests on the simulation before factory acceptance, and operators can see the new screens before go-live.
Industries: Aerospace, Nuclear, Pharmaceutical, Rail
Where it fits
An extra test stage, not a replacement for testing
Virtual commissioning sits between design and factory acceptance. It catches most logic and interface errors early, so factory and site acceptance can concentrate on what only real equipment can show: wiring, instruments, mechanics and the process itself.
Industries
Industries we do this for
An ISO 9001 certified quality system, designing to the standards your sector demands, plus any you specify.
Water and utilities
Process
Manufacturing
Transport and logistics
Buildings and nuclear
Our promise
The real control program, proven against a simulated plant, before site.
How we deliver
From specification to proven program
Virtual commissioning is planned from the start of the project, so the simulation is ready when the code is.
Model
The I/O list, process description and equipment behaviour turned into a model of your plant.
Connect
The program loaded into the emulated controller and connected to the simulated I/O and SCADA.
Test
Sequences, interlocks, alarms and faults tested against the functional specification and recorded.
Witness
Your engineers witness the tests on the simulation; changes made and retested.
Accept
Factory acceptance focused on hardware and integration, with the logic already proven.
Site
Site acceptance on the real equipment, with a shorter, calmer commissioning.
In full
The detail
What changes with virtual commissioning
The same tests are run either way. The difference is where they run, and what happens when one fails.
Commissioning on site only
The program meets the plant for the first time at installation.
- Logic errors found with crews and production waiting
- Interlocks and faults tested on live equipment
- Interfaces between suppliers first meet on site
- Operators see the system on go-live day
- Fixes made under pressure, and harder to document
With virtual commissioning
The program is proven against a simulated plant first.
- Logic errors found in the office, fixed and retested
- Faults and trips simulated safely, as often as needed
- Interfaces tested before the equipment arrives
- Screens and alarms reviewed by your team in advance
- Site time spent on real equipment and the process
What we simulate
| Part of the system | How it is simulated | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Controller | Your PLC program in an emulated controller, configured like the real one | The code that will run on site |
| Inputs and outputs | Simulated signals with realistic feedback: run signals, valve limits, levels | I/O handling and equipment logic |
| Process | Models of levels, flows, temperatures and pressures, closed loop with your controllers | Control loops and process sequences |
| Operator interface | SCADA and HMI connected to the emulated controller | Screens, alarms, trends and commands |
| Communications | OPC UA and controller links to the simulated system | Data exchange and addressing |
| Faults | Failed sensors, tripped drives, lost communications and out-of-range values, injected on demand | Fault handling and recovery |
| Safety logic | Safety functions exercised in simulation to find errors early | Logic only; safety acceptance is on real equipment |
Built for repeatable simulation
PLCSIM automation
Project copies prepared, loaded and run in PLCSIM Advanced without manual steps.
I/O gateway
Drives simulated inputs, logs every value it forces and releases them all at the end.
Process simulator
Closed-loop models of the process, running with your control loops.
Commissioning SCADA
Generated from the PLC program; it can only write to a simulated controller.
Test plans
Sequence and interlock tests written as tables, traced to the functional specification.
Version control
Program, model and test results kept together, so every test can be rerun.
How we prove it, and where the line is
- Each test traced to a requirement in the functional design specification
- Results recorded, with failures logged, fixed and retested
- The tested program version recorded, so site runs exactly what was proven
- Simulation writes are confined to the emulated controller, never to a real one
- Your engineers can witness any test before factory acceptance
Simulation proves logic against a model of your plant, within that model. It never replaces tests on the real equipment, and it is never safety acceptance. Wiring, instruments, mechanics and the process itself are proven at factory and site acceptance.
Evidence before site
- Simulation model and scope
- Inspection and test plan
- Sequence and interlock test pack
- Test records and deviation register
- Tested program version and change log
- Alarm list and HMI interface
- FAT and SAT protocols and records
- Functional design specification
- As-built source code
FAQ
Quick answers
Does it replace FAT and SAT?
No. It comes before them, so they can focus on the real equipment and the process.
Can we use it on an existing plant?
Yes. A copy of the program that runs today is simulated, so a change is proven before it is downloaded.
Do we need a 3D model of the plant?
No. The simulation models how equipment and process behave, which is what the control program needs.