Emerson Exchange 365

Activity

Digital transformation in chemical processing: how to start small to scale big.

Jim Cahill

The chemical industry is facing a unique challenge: a need for growth along with environmental regulations that each day are becoming stricter and more urgent. Limited resources, an aging workforce, aging equipment: achieving both efficiency and sustainability can seem impossible. But there’s a solution: creating an ecosystem of real-time data and actionable insights. In a word, digital transformation. Unlocking Data…
- 28 Feb 2024
Digital transformation in chemical processing: how to start small to scale big..

Jim Cahill

The chemical industry is facing a unique challenge: a need for growth along with environmental regulations that each day are becoming stricter and more urgent. Limited resources, an aging workforce, aging equipment: achieving both efficiency and sustainability can seem impossible. But there’s a solution: creating an ecosystem of real-time data and actionable insights. In a word, digital transformation. Unlocking Data…
- 28 Feb 2024
Measurement Integrity for Improved Mass Balance

Jim Cahill

Based on physics and chemistry’s conservation of mass law, mass can be neither created nor destroyed. Mass balance is: The mass that enters a system must, by conservation of mass, either leave the system or accumulate within the system. I offer this as background for my communications with Emerson’s Martin McDonough , who shared with me its use in chemical plant losses and production accounting. The gain or loss is…
- 13 Dec 2023
Measurement Integrity for Improved Mass Balance

Jim Cahill

Based on physics and chemistry’s conservation of mass law, mass can be neither created nor destroyed. Mass balance is: The mass that enters a system must, by conservation of mass, either leave the system or accumulate within the system. I offer this as background for my communications with Emerson’s Martin McDonough , who shared with me its use in chemical plant losses and production accounting. The gain or loss is…
- 13 Dec 2023
Industrial Software Helps Pipeline Operators Transition to More Sustainable Operation

Jim Cahill

Today, it’s not only the public calling for more sustainability commitment from industry. In many cases, investors are increasing their interest in companies’ sustainability plans as well, leading more and more organizations to make very public commitments to reaching net zero emissions within the next decade or two. But for every commitment made, there are many people supporting the company’s operations who must find…
- 9 Nov 2023
Industrial Software Helps Pipeline Operators Transition to More Sustainable Operation

Jim Cahill

Today, it’s not only the public calling for more sustainability commitment from industry. In many cases, investors are increasing their interest in companies’ sustainability plans as well, leading more and more organizations to make very public commitments to reaching net zero emissions within the next decade or two. But for every commitment made, there are many people supporting the company’s operations who must find…
- 9 Nov 2023
Modern Software Drives Cutting-Edge Terminal Operations

Jim Cahill

Terminals are businesses, and, like any business, they face competition in the marketplace. A terminal that can turn vessels around more quickly provides added value to customers who in turn can use that extra time to create more value in their own businesses. So, to stay competitive, today’s terminals must maximize their throughput capacity and efficiency. However, today’s terminals are more complex than ever, just…
- 31 Oct 2023
Modern Software Drives Cutting-Edge Terminal Operations

Jim Cahill

Terminals are businesses, and, like any business, they face competition in the marketplace. A terminal that can turn vessels around more quickly provides added value to customers who in turn can use that extra time to create more value in their own businesses. So, to stay competitive, today’s terminals must maximize their throughput capacity and efficiency. However, today’s terminals are more complex than ever, just…
- 31 Oct 2023
Emerson PACSystems Edge Solutions Accelerate Digital Transformation & Eliminates Software Compatibility Issues

Jim Cahill

Edge technology and IIoT use continues to expand, with over one-third of the industrial market adopting these technologies so far, and many more evaluating them. A recent article by editor-at-large Seán Ottewell for Chemical Processing August 2023 titled Chemical Industry Embraces Edge Computing highlighted some opportunities and challenges presented by edge used in industry, and it included my input and thoughts on the…
- 27 Oct 2023
Emerson PACSystems Edge Solutions Accelerate Digital Transformation & Eliminates Software Compatibility Issues

Jim Cahill

Edge technology and IIoT use continues to expand, with over one-third of the industrial market adopting these technologies so far, and many more evaluating them. A recent article by editor-at-large Seán Ottewell for Chemical Processing August 2023 titled Chemical Industry Embraces Edge Computing highlighted some opportunities and challenges presented by edge used in industry, and it included my input and thoughts on the…
- 27 Oct 2023
Improving Fired Heater Efficiency and Performance

Jim Cahill

In chemical manufacturing operations, fired heaters are used to provide heat for the desired chemical reactions. They are a significant component in energy usage—in fact, 37% of the U.S. manufacturing end use, and improving their efficiency translates directly to the bottom line. 30% to 50% of an operating budget is typically spent on energy. I caught up with Martin McDonough about ways that chemical manufacturers can…
- 27 Oct 2023
Improving Fired Heater Efficiency and Performance

Jim Cahill

In chemical manufacturing operations, fired heaters are used to provide heat for the desired chemical reactions. They are a significant component in energy usage—in fact, 37% of the U.S. manufacturing end use, and improving their efficiency translates directly to the bottom line. 30% to 50% of an operating budget is typically spent on energy. I caught up with Martin McDonough about ways that chemical manufacturers can…
- 27 Oct 2023
Driving Safer Chemical Manufacturing Performance

Jim Cahill

Safety is consistently among the highest priorities for manufacturers and producers. Critical goals are to avoid safety incidents, keep site personnel safe, protect the community around you, protect the environment as a whole, and improve your corporate financial health. A robust safety culture has many facets, including occupational safety, containment safety, process safety, and functional safety. I caught up with…
- 18 Oct 2023
Driving Safer Chemical Manufacturing Performance

Jim Cahill

Safety is consistently among the highest priorities for manufacturers and producers. Critical goals are to avoid safety incidents, keep site personnel safe, protect the community around you, protect the environment as a whole, and improve your corporate financial health. A robust safety culture has many facets, including occupational safety, containment safety, process safety, and functional safety. I caught up with…
- 18 Oct 2023
Modern Pipeline Engineering Requires the Best Software

Jim Cahill

Pipeline operations are vastly different than they were just five or ten short years ago. One key area in which this is true is in the rise of renewables and sustainability. Today’s pipelines are moving new products like hydrogen or carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from carbon capture operations along with the old standards, and these changes significantly impact their operations. Fortunately, as Paul Dickerson and Dr. Jon…
- 17 Oct 2023
Modern Pipeline Engineering Requires the Best Software

Jim Cahill

Pipeline operations are vastly different than they were just five or ten short years ago. One key area in which this is true is in the rise of renewables and sustainability. Today’s pipelines are moving new products like hydrogen or carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from carbon capture operations along with the old standards, and these changes significantly impact their operations. Fortunately, as Paul Dickerson and Dr. Jon…
- 17 Oct 2023
Safe, Reliable and Accurate Loading and Unloading Operations

Jim Cahill

Loading and unloading operations for chemical producers must be performed safely, reliably, and accurately. I caught up with Emerson’s Martin McDonough on ways to mitigate risks and improve operational performance. These operations can be some of the highest-risk operations within a facility and account for as much as 80% of transport-related incidents. In addition to mitigating risks to personnel and the environment…
- 26 Sep 2023
Safe, Reliable and Accurate Loading and Unloading Operations

Jim Cahill

Loading and unloading operations for chemical producers must be performed safely, reliably, and accurately. I caught up with Emerson’s Martin McDonough on ways to mitigate risks and improve operational performance. These operations can be some of the highest-risk operations within a facility and account for as much as 80% of transport-related incidents. In addition to mitigating risks to personnel and the environment…
- 26 Sep 2023
Advancing a Plastics Manufacturing Circular Economy

Jim Cahill

We’ve all seen images of plastic trash floating in the oceans and huge landfill locations. A lot of work is going into how to recycle this waste to drive greater sustainability. In a ControlGlobal.com article, Automation enables a circular economy for plastic recycling , Emerson’s Don Fregelette highlights the role of automation in “creating a sustainable solution for plastic trash by improving manufacturing processes…
- 19 Sep 2023
Advancing a Plastics Manufacturing Circular Economy

Jim Cahill

We’ve all seen images of plastic trash floating in the oceans and huge landfill locations. A lot of work is going into how to recycle this waste to drive greater sustainability. In a ControlGlobal.com article, Automation enables a circular economy for plastic recycling , Emerson’s Don Fregelette highlights the role of automation in “creating a sustainable solution for plastic trash by improving manufacturing processes…
- 18 Sep 2023
Improving Maintenance and Monitoring to Advance Sustainability Programs

Jim Cahill

Click to enlarge If you were to ask most people in the chemical processing industry about the kinds of steps necessary to support sustainability efforts, you’d likely get a variety of complex answers citing alternate energy sources, rethinking supply chains, and suggesting major changes to processes. These may all be valid, but let’s suggest something very practical, and doable right now: tightening up plant maintenance…
- 7 Sep 2023
Improving Maintenance and Monitoring to Advance Sustainability Programs

Jim Cahill

Click to enlarge If you were to ask most people in the chemical processing industry about the kinds of steps necessary to support sustainability efforts, you’d likely get a variety of complex answers citing alternate energy sources, rethinking supply chains, and suggesting major changes to processes. These may all be valid, but let’s suggest something very practical, and doable right now: tightening up plant maintenance…
- 7 Sep 2023
Achieving Repeatable Golden Batches

Jim Cahill

The term “golden batch” describes the ideal batch production against which all other produced batches are compared. I caught up with Emerson’s Martin McDonough about how this concept applies to chemical manufacturers with batch production processes. Martin shared some industry statistics with me. Many of these chemical manufacturers operate with a “Right-First-Time” metric between 40-70%. The bad batches increase cycle…
- 6 Sep 2023
Achieving Repeatable Golden Batches

Jim Cahill

The term “golden batch” describes the ideal batch production against which all other produced batches are compared. I caught up with Emerson’s Martin McDonough about how this concept applies to chemical manufacturers with batch production processes. Martin shared some industry statistics with me. Many of these chemical manufacturers operate with a “Right-First-Time” metric between 40-70%. The bad batches increase cycle…
- 6 Sep 2023
Digital Solutions for Driving More Sustainable Production

Jim Cahill

At the EHS (Environmental, Health & Safety) Seminar , Emerson’s Michael Machuca presented Digital Solutions to Achieve Your Sustainability and Decarbonization Goals. This conference focuses on companies within the petrochemical industry. Michael opened his presentation by citing that 37% of U.S. manufacturing energy consumption is by the chemical industry. In an analysis by Worley, opportunities to drive more sustainable…
- 25 Aug 2023