Blog - Post List
  • Implement & Build Blog: Green Diesel: A New Industry Built Entirely on Sustainability

    Authors: Meha Jha and Julie Valentine It isn’t often that we get to see a new industry being born, but in many respects, the growth of green (renewable) diesel is just that event. The idea of manufacturing diesel, indistinguishable from the conventional product, using only non-fossil feedstocks, and in meaningful quantities, is a pretty big deal, especially in terms of sustainability. Green diesel is a post-digital…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Digital Transformation for Shutdowns, Turnarounds, Outages

    Continuously operating plants such as refinery and petrochemical complexes require periodic turnarounds to perform necessary maintenance to restore optimum production. Also known as shutdowns and outages, these events can occur a few times per decade or more, depending on the process. In a Chemical Processing article, Maintenance: Turnarounds Get A New Spin , Emerson’s John Sanders joins a KBC senior leader to share…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Digital Transformation for Shutdowns, Turnarounds, Outages

    Continuously operating plants such as refinery and petrochemical complexes require periodic turnarounds to perform necessary maintenance to restore optimum production. Also known as shutdowns and outages, these events can occur a few times per decade or more, depending on the process. In a Chemical Processing article, Maintenance: Turnarounds Get A New Spin , Emerson’s John Sanders joins a KBC senior leader to share…
  • Implement & Build Blog: MTP Unlocks Faster Integration for Smoother Capital Projects

    Because automation is typically on the critical path of any capital project, delays in integration can have significant impacts on project timelines and costs. One of the most common areas where integrating equipment can delay project completion and startup is with intelligent devices (IDs). In a recent article in Chemical Processing , Emerson’s Juan Carlos Bravo addressed this issue and explained how Module Type Package…
  • Implement & Build Blog: MTP Unlocks Faster Integration for Smoother Capital Projects

    Because automation is typically on the critical path of any capital project, delays in integration can have significant impacts on project timelines and costs. One of the most common areas where integrating equipment can delay project completion and startup is with intelligent devices (IDs). In a recent article in Chemical Processing , Emerson’s Juan Carlos Bravo addressed this issue and explained how Module Type Package…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Healthy Master Data Foundation for Digital Transformation

    Digital transformation initiatives rely on extensive and accurate data. Master Data is a foundational element in these initiatives and has a huge impact on day-to-day business operations. In this quick 2:40 YouTube video, Master Data Management and the Importance of Healthy Data , Emerson’s Curtis Thompson explains why having healthy data matters, and how to know if you have healthy data.  Curtis opens noting that…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Healthy Master Data Foundation for Digital Transformation

    Digital transformation initiatives rely on extensive and accurate data. Master Data is a foundational element in these initiatives and has a huge impact on day-to-day business operations. In this quick 2:40 YouTube video, Master Data Management and the Importance of Healthy Data , Emerson’s Curtis Thompson explains why having healthy data matters, and how to know if you have healthy data.  Curtis opens noting that…
  • Tips for New Process Automation Folks: IEEE Tech Talk – control system device cyber security is missing in government and engineering societies

    IEEE (www.IEEE.org) is one of the most influential professional engineering societies in the world. It is well-regarded and has played an important role in the development of many control system standards. On December 14, 2021, I was honored to give an IEEE Tech Talk to the Seattle Chapter of the IEEE Power and Energy Society on control system cyber security. The link to the recording is at https://www.youtube.com/watch…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: MyEmerson Collaborative Engineering Environment

    Many tasks are needed for manufacturers and producers to advance their operations across their lifecycles from upfront planning, through design, installation, commissioning, ongoing operations and maintenance, and decommissioning. For plants with Emerson technologies and solutions, the MyEmerson personalized digital experience simplifies and streamlines many of these tasks to help plants operate more safely, efficiently…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: MyEmerson Collaborative Engineering Environment

    Many tasks are needed for manufacturers and producers to advance their operations across their lifecycles from upfront planning, through design, installation, commissioning, ongoing operations and maintenance, and decommissioning. For plants with Emerson technologies and solutions, the MyEmerson personalized digital experience simplifies and streamlines many of these tasks to help plants operate more safely, efficiently…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: PID Algorithm ISA Technical Reference

    Earlier this week, I shared a podcast with James Beall , who as a long-time Control Performance Consultant shared some of his thoughts on common control performance issues and ways to address them. James is quite generous in sharing his expertise at professional and industry events such as ISA and AIChE. Today, I’ll recap one of his AIChE Spring21+17 th GCPS presentations he co-presented with CMiD Solutions’ Mark Darby…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: PID Algorithm ISA Technical Reference

    Earlier this week, I shared a podcast with James Beall , who as a long-time Control Performance Consultant shared some of his thoughts on common control performance issues and ways to address them. James is quite generous in sharing his expertise at professional and industry events such as ISA and AIChE. Today, I’ll recap one of his AIChE Spring21+17 th GCPS presentations he co-presented with CMiD Solutions’ Mark Darby…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Podcast: Process Control Consulting Stories with James Beall

    When the plant is not running the way it should, with excessive variability, alarm conditions or sub-optimized performance, plant engineers often connect with the Emerson Production Performance consultants . I had the opportunity to sit down and record a podcast with Emerson’s James Beall who is a member of the team. You may remember James from an earlier podcast, 5 Questions for Principal Process Control Consultant…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Podcast: Process Control Consulting Stories with James Beall

    When the plant is not running the way it should, with excessive variability, alarm conditions or sub-optimized performance, plant engineers often connect with the Emerson Production Performance consultants . I had the opportunity to sit down and record a podcast with Emerson’s James Beall who is a member of the team. You may remember James from an earlier podcast, 5 Questions for Principal Process Control Consultant…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Podcast: Using MyAssets Digital Tools for Faster Access to Device Information

    Plants have thousands, or even tens of thousands of assets to maintain – including measurement devices, analyzers, final control devices and more. So how can digital technologies be applied to better identify, size, procure, install and maintain them over their useful lives? In this podcast, Emerson’s Kristin Steiner and Adam Thompson joined me to discussed the MyAssets digital toolset, as one of the components of the…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Podcast: Using MyAssets Digital Tools for Faster Access to Device Information

    Plants have thousands, or even tens of thousands of assets to maintain – including measurement devices, analyzers, final control devices and more. So how can digital technologies be applied to better identify, size, procure, install and maintain them over their useful lives? In this podcast, Emerson’s Kristin Steiner and Adam Thompson joined me to discussed the MyAssets digital toolset, as one of the components of the…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Small Changes Add Up to Big Energy Savings

    It is impossible to miss the shift toward more sustainable operations—driven by new social and consumer expectations—in nearly every industry across the globe. Chemical producers are no exception, as industry leaders take advantage of digital technologies and expanded access to data to drive performance improvements that simultaneously unlock more sustainable production. But not all improvements have to be big-ticket…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Small Changes Add Up to Big Energy Savings

    It is impossible to miss the shift toward more sustainable operations—driven by new social and consumer expectations—in nearly every industry across the globe. Chemical producers are no exception, as industry leaders take advantage of digital technologies and expanded access to data to drive performance improvements that simultaneously unlock more sustainable production. But not all improvements have to be big-ticket…
  • Tips for New Process Automation Folks: June 8th and 9th virtual keynotes to cyber security conferences – gaps between networking and engineering

    Given the virtual world we live in, I am able to support two important cyber security conferences – June 8th is the Cyber Observatory IOT and ICS Conference and June 8th and 9th is the New York State Cyber Security Conference. As control system-unique cyber issues are still misunderstood by many in the mainstream cyber security community, my presentations will be an engineer’s view of control system cyber security with…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Ways to Retain Expertise

    With the transition well underway of Boomer retirements and Gen-Z now entering the workforce, how do manufacturers and producers retain the accumulated expertise built over decades? In a Valve magazine article, Practical Steps for Retaining Expertise , Emerson’s John Molloy shares some ways to address this situation. John opens by noting that in addition to the demographic challenge, that: …teams across those various…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Ways to Retain Expertise

    With the transition well underway of Boomer retirements and Gen-Z now entering the workforce, how do manufacturers and producers retain the accumulated expertise built over decades? In a Valve magazine article, Practical Steps for Retaining Expertise , Emerson’s John Molloy shares some ways to address this situation. John opens by noting that in addition to the demographic challenge, that: …teams across those various…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Improving Polymer Reactor Control Performance

    The chemical engineering professional organization, AIChE held their 2021 AIChE Spring Meeting & 17th Global Congress on Process Safety as a virtual conference in April. Emerson’s James Beall presented Novel Techniques to Improve Polymer Reactor Tuning based on a project he worked on. Reactor control is complex with many interactions between control loops. The way to tackle this challenge is to start by identifying…
  • Emerson Automation Experts: Improving Polymer Reactor Control Performance

    The chemical engineering professional organization, AIChE held their 2021 AIChE Spring Meeting & 17th Global Congress on Process Safety as a virtual conference in April. Emerson’s James Beall presented Novel Techniques to Improve Polymer Reactor Tuning based on a project he worked on. Reactor control is complex with many interactions between control loops. The way to tackle this challenge is to start by identifying…
  • Implement & Build Blog: Digital Transformation Helps Moderna Safely Deliver COVID-19 Vaccine in Record Time

    A common theme across the Emerson Exchange Virtual Series has been the way software and digital technologies have helped us all deal with an unexpected and unprecedented pandemic. Wherever there is adversity, there are also innovators who step up to the challenge of delivering solutions to critical problems. In the February keynote address, Speed to Market, Jim Nyquist , chairman of Emerson’s systems and software business…
  • Implement & Build Blog: Digital Transformation Helps Moderna Safely Deliver COVID-19 Vaccine in Record Time

    A common theme across the Emerson Exchange Virtual Series has been the way software and digital technologies have helped us all deal with an unexpected and unprecedented pandemic. Wherever there is adversity, there are also innovators who step up to the challenge of delivering solutions to critical problems. In the February keynote address, Speed to Market, Jim Nyquist , chairman of Emerson’s systems and software business…