Emerson Exchange 365

Senior executives of Emerson Process Management today introduced customers to its Integrated Operations initiative. This new initiative addresses customer challenges that include geographically diverse facilities; the need for streamlined decision-making and easily accessible expertise; and the safe, collaborative co-location of essential personnel. It also helps to improve safety, reliability, energy efficiency and production.

“Running safe, profitable production operations is becoming increasingly challenging in the locations our customers are working in,” said Peter Zornio, chief strategic officer of Emerson Process Management. “These locations are sometimes referred to as the `Four D’s’: dull, distant, dirty and dangerous. These are often places few people want to go. The cost and scarcity of skilled workers just compounds the challenges.”

To overcome these challenges, manufacturers are turning to a new organisational model called 'Integrated Operations' or iOps. iOps combines business operations, production planning, collaboration, maintenance and operations to increase business value and enable smarter decisions.

While implementations vary, key ingredients of iOps include co-location of cross-functional teams in more desirable locations, collaboration tools like video conferencing and other applications, real-time access to process and asset data and streamlined decision-making workflows. The results are dissolved boundaries and a faster response.

By implementing these strategies, manufacturers are able to attract and retain the brightest talent, increase the speed and accuracy of decision-making and in turn accelerate the responsiveness of the organisation to help meet key company objectives.

Pervasive Sensing

The broad scope of Integrated Operations calls for a clear, up-to-date view of what’s happening in all aspects of an operation. Real-time access to such essential information has been a core focus within Emerson for decades, and the company is now expanding its product portfolio with more intelligent sensors for process manufacturing and production operations. This ‘pervasive sensing’ extends the company’s focus beyond traditional process control and safety systems by addressing customers’ need for improved visibility to conditions outside of process control.

Bob Karschnia, Vice President of Wireless, explained how pervasive sensing supports iOps by providing actionable information. Pervasive sensing allows the monitoring of data from process and non-process sensors throughout the enterprise. It is the foundation of the enterprise knowledge networks that not only apply to the process, but also the business.

“Installing additional sensors to monitor non-process parameters has traditionally been physically difficult, expensive or technically challenging, but those obstacles have now been overcome”, said Karchnia. “Emerson has lowered the cost/value barrier by providing lower cost of deployment, reliable non-intrusive installation, and low lifecycle costs, combined with unparalleled ease-of-use in sensor applications.”

Emerson believes that pervasive sensing will more than double the existing $16 billion measurement market by helping production facilities enhance site safety, reliability, energy efficiency and more. The value of business-critical sensing is already being recognised; one process plant in Eastern Europe is currently deploying wireless infrastructure to grow measurements by 60% for business critical applications.

As part of the press conference Emerson customers outlined how pervasive sensing is helping them to improve safety, reduce maintenance costs and increase energy efficiency respectively.

Tom Kenis from BP described the need for a leak detection system that would help enhance safety and meet the latest government regulations for storage and handling of flammable liquids at BP’s chemical production centre in Geel, Belgium. Emerson’s Smart Wireless technology provides a reliable, affordable way to gather information from hydrocarbon sensors that continuously monitor storage tanks, valves and pipelines throughout the plant, and to deliver that information to the control system so operators can be notified of any leaks. The use of wireless technology for the automated monitoring system has enabled BP to install a leak detection system at a much lower cost than a traditional wired solution.

David Hambling from SABIC UK Petrochemicals then described the problems they were experiencing collecting and analysing vibration data for critical pumps installed on an Olefins Cracker at their plant in Teesside, UK. The plant produces ethylene, propylene, butadiene and gasoline products, and SABIC previously collected and analysed vibration data for these pumps manually. However, potential problems that occurred between readings led to higher maintenance costs and reduced plant availability, which was affecting overall production.

Emerson’s wireless condition monitoring and prediction system is being used to detect potential problems with pumps. This helps to reduce the risk of unexpected failures that can cause lost production and expensive repairs, as well as safety and environmental incidents.

“We wanted to improve the monitoring of critical pumps at the Olefins plant in Teesside,” said Hambling. “By installing Emerson’s wireless vibration transmitters we can now continuously monitor vibration levels and detect faults before a failure occurs.”

Speaking on behalf of Tanatex Chemicals, Ralf Kueper, Wireless Business Development Manager at Emerson, explained how rising fuel costs and increasingly rigorous environmental standards have created the need to conserve energy. “Failed steam traps can cause inefficient heat transfer and pose a serious risk to personnel and equipment, he said. “But knowing when they've failed is the challenge.”

At the Tanatex Chemicals Leverkusen facility, approximately 100 of the older, more critical steam traps fitted with Rosemount 708 wireless acoustic transmitters linked to a WirelessHART network helped identify faulty devices. This ensures that the right repairs are made at the right time, reducing maintenance costs.

“Tanatex estimates that the monitoring system will save at least €40,000 a year by reducing energy costs and maintenance,” continued Kueper. “With Emerson's wireless sensing technology they are now able to monitor steam traps continuously, 365 days a year.”

iOps Centre

Helping customers to understand the benefits iOps can provide, Emerson has developed a real-world laboratory to experience Integrated Operations called the iOps Centre. A consulting service will also help customers envision, plan and execute their own iOps strategy. Attending editors were given a live demonstration of the iOps capability within a purpose-built iOps centre in the Exchange Solutions Exhibition.

Zornio concluded “With iOps and pervasive sensing, process companies will be able to better execute tasks and make smarter decisions contributing to operational excellence.”