Emerson Users Conference 2021 Offered Insights And Innovations To Drive Performance Improvements For Manufacturers
The need for manufacturers to make performance improvements while maintaining safety and security levels requires them to run their operations smarter, safer and more sustainably. However, set against a background of reduced resources and the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving these goals is far from straightforward. Learning from those that have managed to deliver step change improvements despite this challenging environment provides a good first step in meeting your own goals. This was very much the objective of the Emerson Global Users Exchange.
Emerson Users Exchange EMEA Live 2021 online conference was spread across three days and highlighted practical innovations and solutions that can help companies meet their improvement goals. The conference, organised by end users for end users, presented the experiences of manufacturers and process companies that have implemented automation solutions to meet a range of specific application challenges. In these presentations Emerson customers provided insights into how they have achieved measurable business value, rethought processes, identified new efficiencies, reduced costs and reached higher levels of performance.
A good contribution to these sessions was provided by Compagnia Valdostana delle Acque (CVA) Group, a renewable energy company that operates hydroelectric power plants in Italy. CVA wanted to improve the management of its hydroelectric plants to increase uptime and availability of service to its customers.
To do this, it created an Innovation Research and Development Team to develop automation standards for the management of its hydroelectric plants. Three new automatic systems were developed using Emerson’s PACSystems RX3i controllers to provide fully automated control of the hydroelectric plants. The resulting Speed Regulator (RDF12©), Voltage Regulator (RDT14©) and Group Automation System (AUT16©) combine to contribute towards increased plant availability and efficiency, environmental protection and health and safety.
Another presentation outlined how Emerson’s channel partner Intech has implemented a digital automation solution for an important oil and gas company in Middle East that provides real-time monitoring and control of wellheads and well clusters distributed across a huge area of desert. Operating in a harsh environment, with temperatures of up to 70°, the technology has to provide high levels of reliability and availability to support critical applications such as emergency shutdown (ESD) systems, choke valve automation, chemical injection skids and CCTV surveillance.
The project, which began in 2016 and is now entering its fourth phase, includes remote terminal units connecting field instrumentation and skids managed by Emerson programmable automation controllers, with data transmitted via wireless networks to a SCADA system. The controllers monitor well integrity, while an Emerson functional safety system controls the wellhead ESD.
Conference delegates also were able to learn how one of the largest food companies in Venezuela, has prevented automation control system failures causing interruptions to production at its meat production, storage and packaging plant in El Paz. Despite the use of uninterruptable power supplies to try to cope with frequent regional power supply outages and over-voltages, existing PLCs began to fail after a few months. The remote location of the plant meant slow delivery of costly replacement parts.
A solution was provided by ESA Elettromeccanica, an Italian System Integrator, with redundant UPS systems meeting the challenge of power black-outs and over-voltages. A new automation system architecture with a redundant ring PROFINET network has increased data communications robustness. Emerson PACSystems RX3i controllers now operate the main production line, gas refrigeration and other sub systems, while Emerson’s VersaMax I/O and control devices manage the cold rooms, air treatment and secondary production line. The simple solution has extended the life of automation technology, eliminated production downtime, reduced maintenance and optimised use of workforce time.
In addition to these excellent customer experiences, Emerson Users Exchange Live offered product technology roadmaps, meet the expert sessions, subject matter expert office hours, industry forums and product demonstrations, all opportunities to keep up-to-date on the latest and future technologies and services from Emerson.
If you wish to join the Emerson community and receive more info on the next events, please subscribe here www.go.emersonautomation.com/iac-subscribe
Emerson Automation Solutions
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About us
Leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, power, water and wastewater treatment, mining and metals, food and beverage, life sciences and other industries.
Where we supply to
Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America
Industries we supply to
Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater
