Key points
The future of processing operations calls for systems that help to increase safety, reliability and efficiency; and demonstrate the flexibility to adapt to market innovations and challenges. Automation technology and eventually, autonomous operations, will play a key role in allowing complex processes to operate more safely and efficiently.
The transformation to an autonomous control system fulfills the growing need to streamline plant communications, provide support for the next generation of industrial workers and gain a more comprehensive view of process shortcomings.
Autonomous solutions also enhance workforce safety, excellence and performance, while reducing environmental impact and operating costs with more adaptable and accessible system assets.
Below, we’ll walk through industrial autonomy and how it will improve the processing industry’s capabilities and how it can help prepare the processing industry for the future. Â
The Industry’s Journey to Autonomy
As seen across the globe, industrial organisations from the petrochemical, oil and gas, mining to pharmaceutical sectors have the opportunity to overcome competitive pressures and uncertain market conditions to achieve game-changing business outcomes by embracing the lifecycle journey to industrial autonomy.
According to a recent study by LNS Research, approximately 50% of industrial transformation leaders have an autonomous plant initiative formalised and an estimated 41% of these leaders are speeding up their autonomous plant efforts.
Processing industry leaders are also seeking solutions beyond basic automation controls. They need require flexible systems that can self-improve performance across the board, learn from new conditions in real-time or augmented reality and run production process entirely autonomously.
The world of industrial autonomy is a crucial part of what ultimately comprises the Fourth Industrial Revolution — also known as Industry 4.0 — which will equip assets and operations with robust adaptive capabilities. Autonomous control systems will respond without operator interaction to situations within a secure domain that was not pre-programmed or anticipated in the system design.
Industrial autonomy helps organisations harness the power of new digital technologies to create a transformation of operational benefits – But since digital transformation is not a one-step process, understanding a processing plant’s capabilities, digital maturity and state of operations is crucial in identifying its next steps in this next evolution.
Autonomous Operations – How Do They Work?
In a typical processing setting, industrial autonomy means leveraging the latest technology to achieve better situational awareness. It means allowing a system to take an optimal action that achieves the desired outcome in the best way possible. Those desired outcomes can include better production, improved quality, more reliable operation and a much more efficient workforce.
Industrial autonomy helps to automate production tasks and to ensure those tasks are performed flawlessly and consistently.
To move towards autonomy in industrial processes, organisations must be willing to look very closely at their processes present in their operations and determine what can be fully automated, what elements will require human supervision and which areas will remain manual. Once this clarity is established, it is possible to set a path to autonomy following six progressive levels:
- Manual or semi-manual operations
- Controlled and optimised operations
- Intelligent operations
- Remote operations
- Resilient operations
- Autonomous operations
While the industrial autonomy maturity model does have a natural sequence and evolution, many facilities will have varying degrees of capabilities at each level. A processing plant may depend on manual processes for some operations while having pieces of equipment that operate largely autonomously. However, it is of paramount that organisations evaluate their processes and capabilities thoroughly.
In its most simple essence, the purpose of industrial autonomy is to eliminate manual steps by automating them. As the user starts this journey, it’s important to take the time to understand what processes are still manual or semi-manual and to assess which of those are dependent on the knowledge and skill of an individual to carry them out effectively.
These manual operations can range from field personnel taking manual gauge readings, to process control staff performing a product transition based on their experience and a written procedure.
Industrial autonomy can help companies achieve their goals to centrally monitor assets and, in some instances, conduct unmanned remote operations. This is particularly attractive for complex, remote or hazardous environments.
Autonomous systems have the ability to deliver far beyond traditional predictive maintenance. Devices such as burners with embedded sensors for temperature, pressure and sound will be able to operate autonomously, determine their maintenance needs and coordinate service requirements to minimise production disruptions.
Conclusion
The trends are undeniable: Autonomy is a key technology that will lead process industry operations into the future and as technology moves beyond automation, autonomy and autonomous systems will bring improvements to bear in many spaces.
Regardless of an enterprise’s current tools, design or talent, integrating autonomous solutions at any level of production serves as a catalyst for increased operational performance by addressing safety, efficiency, and reliability issues to help promote business continuity.
Ultimately, the arrival at industrial autonomy in the processing industry will enable every day to be the best day of production and every employee becoming a knowledgeable expert.
To learn more about the lifecycle journey to industrial autonomy, visit www.process.honeywell.com.
