The launch of in-plant Smart Wireless solutions that enable manufacturers to boost mainstream applications to the next level of reliability and operational performance is the latest offering from Emerson Process Management.

These new solutions extend the company's PlantWeb digital plant architecture and, it says, deliver actionable information from assets previously out of physical or economic reach, expanding predictive process and asset management in existing and new facilities.

Smart Wireless combines innovative self-organising wireless network technology and gateways with wireless-enabled Rosemount measurement transmitters and wireless AMS Suite: Intelligent Device Manager predictive maintenance software. These are seamlessly integrated with DeltaV and Ovation automation systems, or legacy hosts.

The design of the new solutions is based on customer input at all levels of the development cycle and they have been field proven using extensive user trials.

The company's SmartStart wireless service experts help customers with first start-up, including full network health assessment to ensure robust communications plus verification of device functionality through the chosen output, including Modbus, OPC and Ethernet.

According to Emerson, incremental information gained from use of Smart Wireless solutions can enhance customer understanding of their processes, and identify opportunities for improvement. It can improve response time to safety incidents, minimise emissions, and help protect the environment while at the same time expanding proactive maintenance and extending the life of assets.

“Wireless measurement technology will help users see and control more of what happens in their plants. Besides huge savings in installation costs, this will drive fundamental process and automation improvements that are not possible with wired measurements. That is what makes this the most fundamental improvement in process automation in decades,” commented industry analyst Harry Forbes of ARC Advisory Group.

“ARC believes there is pent-up demand for wireless in both new and existing applications. That demand will be realised quickly once end users are confident that new products meet their application requirements. Emerson has collaborated extensively with end users during their development process and has engaged end users for extensive field trials,” he added.

“Manufacturers hate surprises in their facilities, and have long wanted to have eyes and ears on every asset to know what is really going on in their operation,” said John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management. “Until now, there was no easy, reliable and economical way to reach all of the assets that needed monitoring. Smart Wireless technology for in-plant mainstream applications changes that paradigm. Inspired by customer input, we began R&D of this new technology in 1998, and have completed three years of customer field trials. In those trials, we’ve seen customers quickly discover and remedy problems that would have gone undetected.”

Overall, Emerson wireless trial customers have experienced 99.9 per cent network reliability, extremely easy deployment, industrial strength security, long battery life, and as much as 90 per cent less installed cost.

Starter kit

To make it even easier for customers to reach the next level of business improvement, the company is introducing the Wireless SmartPack starter kit, consisting of: SmartStart services; from 5-100 wireless Rosemount flow, pressure, level, or temperature transmitters; wireless gateway; and a 25-tag AMS Intelligent Device Manager software application for predictive information access with a native wireless gateway. Completely pre-engineered, checked out and configured, the network will form right out of the box, with no additional user input or set-up.

A complete set of technical documentation, online tools and information about the newest additions to the Smart Wireless portfolio is available at www.emersonprocess.com/SmartWireless

Also, within the next few months, Emerson will start an in-plant Smart Wireless design contest aimed at inspiring process engineers to unleash their imaginations and creative engineering spirit by submitting innovative applications they have found where wireless technology delivered new insight and business benefits. Their experiences, insights, and tips will form a foundation to speed wireless usage and benefits in the new age of wireless.

In-plant Smart Wireless solutions for 900 MHz applications can be ordered now in North America, and will be available in Latin America in early 2007. The 2.4 GHz solutions will launch in Europe and Asia in early 2007, and will also be available then in Latin America.Meanwhile, to encourage users of Foxboro or other vendors’ control systems to take advantage of innovative performance services designed to help improve plant performance and safety, Invensys Process Systems has announced three different

• Control performance analysis provided at no charge for the first 50 plants that submit appropriate data by 30th November 2006 (no purchase required).
• One industrial WiFi wireless hot spot provided at no charge for customers who sign up for a paid wireless site assessment study by the same date, or.
• Elimination of up to 20 nuisance alarms at no charge for customers who sign up for a paid alarm management study, again by the same date.

The first is a free study analysis and the data does not have to be from an Invensys platform.

After receiving the information, one of the company’s performance services experts will run its diagnostic service against the process. The results will include the following: identification of process constraints by identifying valves at limit, high or low; identification of control loop cycling behaviour, including the cause from tuning, process load, or faulty valves; within the scope of the number of loops, an interaction analysis of interacting loops, and if possible a recommendation on the root cause of the source of interaction. If the data has some setpoint changes in it, Invensys can also develop process models and recommend tuning changes. These results will then be presented in a 30–45 minute web demo session.

The wireless site assessment study provides a comprehensive plan for implementing a fully scalable wireless infrastructure to support multiple applications for various customer business units within an enterprise, for example security, human resources, operations, maintenance, process, IT asset management and material flow. This study lays the groundwork for enabling highly secure wireless technologies at a facility. The result is a comprehensive plan to enable current and future applications required to decrease costs and improve operational efficiencies within the facility.

For its part, the alarm management assessment study provides a comprehensive plan for improving effectiveness of your plant operators. This study lays the groundwork for reducing operator loading and decreasing the risk of excursions, releases and shutdowns. The result is a comprehensive plan to enable alarms which will permit a decrease in costs and an improvement in operational efficiencies within the plant. Included in the study are: a baseline report of alarm system performance; performance target based on best practices, as outlined by EEMUA; recommended methodology on alarm system improvement; and the elimination of 20 nuisance alarms for free as part of this limited time offer. 

For more information, visit www.foxboro.com/LTO