Emerson Exchange 365

So, you "inherited" an aging legacy process control sytem. You have to upgrade/modernize and you are tempted to go with a Replacement-In-Kind (RIK) approach. After all, a lot older plants were built with minimal instrumentation and control infrastructure because of the relatively high cost of process automation in the past, and if yours’ is one of them, it may make sense to you.

For a time in my career, RIK migration projects seem to be de rigueur. There are a lot of positives (or so it seems …):

• Proven control schemes – “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it …”, “they are working good, aren’t they?”, “Don’t have time to learn anything new …”
• Minimal training … same vendor perhaps …  software looks and sort of work the same …
• No new measurements/instruments needed – minimal-to-no field work … lower CAPEX ...
• “Grandfathering” of codes ...
• No need for major Management Of Change  (MOC) work ...

If this is what you are thinking today, we urge you to think again. Today’s digital smart process automation system can do far more than what legacy systems are capable of, and this should be taken advantaged of as we modernize our systems. Time must be invested up front in the planning and design of a control system modernization to review the control schemes, revise and improve them, decide on how to best to implement and advance control techniques to employ, and deploy the latest technologies that are being invested on.

Some topics to consider are:

• What field communications technologies are to be used? Analog 4- 20 mA? If so, is HART capabilities required? Foundation Fieldbus, especially if it is a pneumatic replacement (yes, there are those still out there …)
• Do you retain your field marshalling or use modern electronics marshaling?
• Can wireless play role? From field measurement to plant wireless enabling mobile worker, asset tracking etc.?
• Process historian upgrade
• Alarm management and rationalization
• Predictive diagnostics and plant asset management
• Improve process safety features

 … and the lists goes on …

While replacement in-kind is tempting, especially if resources – time and money are what comes to mind right away – are tight, consider the outcome … spending scarce resources on a “treadmill” upgrade project that just gets you to where you were when you started …

Come talk to us, the Emerson Modernization Team, at Emerson Global User’s Exchange about your modernization plans. You will get you off the upgrade treadmill and on to a benefit-rich modernization journey!