The joint VDMA and OPC Foundation “Process Air Extraction and Filtration Systems” OPC UA Working Group has developed an OPC UA Information Model for Process Air Extraction and Filtration Systems. Universal manufacturer-independent interfaces based on OPC UA have been created.

PAEFS are important systems which are used in the process industry and manufacturing industry or others. An elementary task of PAEFS in operational process air technology is to fulfill their basic function of supplying a process with the required air and/or establishing the air condition necessary for the operation of a process and/or eliminating substances released by the process (e.g. extraction systems for hazardous substances).

Extraction and filtration systems include inertial force extraction and filtration systems, electrostatic extraction and filtration systems, wet separators and automatic roll filters. These extraction and filtration systems may be cleanable or non-cleanable as well as regenerative or non-regenerative.

Apart from the basic function, additional functionalities, such as:

• self-monitoring
• generation of condition information
• diagnostic purposes to set parameters regarding the extraction and filtration system process
• identification of PAEFS for device management
• energy consumption for energy management applications
• remote device control

are essential for data generation, for the optimization of performance, (foresighted) maintenance and operational process control.