NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA)

NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA) – Innovation and integration in process automation

The NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA) modernizes the automation pyramid of process automation. This pyramid, also known as the NAMUR pyramid, multi-level model or Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture, has been an established structure for process automation since its publication.

It consists of the following levels:

  • Level 1: Field Level
    Here the physical interaction with the process takes place via sensors and actuators.
  • Level 2: Process Control Level
    This level focuses on stable and reliable factory automation and operation, including the human-machine interface (HMI), taking into account a large amount of field-level data with strict requirements for real-time capabilities and system availability.
  • Level 3: Operational control level
    This is where the processing of condensed and contextualized information takes place, with real-time requirements in the range of minutes or hours.
  • Level 4: Business and logistics systems
    This includes IT systems in which standard, business and logistical processes take place.

As technology advances, functions at these levels can be integrated into higher-level systems, especially for smaller systems. Nevertheless, the NAMUR pyramid remains a highly available and mature automation architecture in operational practice.

Challenges & Opportunities

Traditional automation systems optimized for the process industry are often monolithic and based on manufacturer-specific technologies. This has several disadvantages:

  • Delayed implementation of new technologies.
  • Need for costly system modernization.
  • High demands on reliability and availability, making rapid changes difficult.

Modern IT innovations such as IoT, Industry 4.0 and cloud computing are developing rapidly and offer enormous opportunities. However, implementation in 'traditional' process automation lags behind. Against this background, NOA was developed to enable a structured convergence of IT and OT systems and to exploit their respective advantages.

Guiding principles of NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA)

NOA combines the advantages of innovative IT developments with existing OT automation systems. The six guiding principles of NOA are:

  1. complementary to the existing structure:
    NOA solutions complement, but do not replace, proven automation architecture, making them ideal for integration into existing systems.
  2. open for Industry 4.0:
    NOA focuses on monitoring and optimization applications, enabling new approaches and business models
  3. based on open standards:
    NOA relies on interoperability and independence from individual providers through the use of open standards.
  4. integration of IT components:
    NOA enables the use of less stringent requirements for system components, which facilitates the integration of modern IT technologies.
  5. cost reduction per piece of information:
    NOA aims to reduce the total cost per piece of information by using innovative monitoring and optimization applications to optimize costs and benefits.
  6. Maintaining availability and security:
    NOA must not jeopardize the stability, availability, safety and reliability of existing automation systems.

By introducing NOA, the process industry can benefit from the advantages of digitalization and Industry 4.0 without compromising the reliability and stability of established automation systems. NOA thus offers a future-oriented solution to meet the challenges of modern process automation and at the same time open up new opportunities for innovation and efficiency.

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