The key to success

The importance of automation in the process industry has increased dramatically in recent years. It has become a force in the entire chemical, oil, gas and biotechnology industry. Innovative instrumentation systems now control complex processes, ensure process reliability and safety and provide the basis for advanced maintenance strategies. All of these topics will be presented and discussed at the ACHEMA 2006.
When you are talking about process automation trends, you need to distinguish between two scenarios: automation of existing systems and green-field projects. In Europe, process automation plays a major role in plant modernization projects. By increasing the efficiency of a large number of processes, automation improves competitiveness and business performance.
When you consider that labor costs only account for 10% of overall costs in the chemical industry compared to 35% for raw materials and energy, respectively, then it is obvious that the process itself holds the key to success. The challenge is to reduce raw material and energy consumption, reduce waste, increase yields and control production based on specified product characteristics. You can only do that is you have complete control of the process and are able to keep downtime to a minimum. Automation technology has become an important tool in the process industry in the effort to achieve these goals.

State-of-the-art IT presents new challenges
The influence of office software (e.g. Microsoft technology) has ushered in major changes in process automation technology. Office technology offers users the opportunity to share data between a large number of applications, but it also presents new challenges, for the example the problem of linking many diverse systems.
System life cycles are becoming an issue between users and manufacturers. Process control systems are often used for 20 years, but updates to Microsoft software at six month intervals are nothing unusual.
The integration of systems, which are outside the realm of process control, has significantly increased the amount of data in a system or company network. This has not always contributed to greater ease of operation or improved process efficiency. Instead, operators have often had to cope with information overload. Only certain information is needed to properly control a process.
What most operators really need to know is whether a line is running in a stable state. Knowing that maintenance needs to be performed on a pump in the near future or that a new software update is available is merely a distraction. However, detailed information about a piece of equipment that needs to be repaired can be very helpful to the maintenance team. Getting the information to the right people is probably one of the biggest challenges in the process automation industry. The volume of information will continue to increase, especially if manufacturing data (from the logistics process etc.) is added to the existing pool of data.
Experts believe that hybrid systems, which are designed to handle process and manufacturing applications, can be an attractive option in this context. The idea is to develop a common control system which is designed for general use and can then be tailored to meet the needs of the process industry. This allows the process industry to benefit from the cost advantages which the manufacturing industry enjoys due to higher volumes. A high level of system integration using package units, etc. can be achieved on systems which are designed for the manufacturing industry. However, it would be unwise to underestimate the complexity of this approach, because it involves significant changes to system architecture.

Integration of production and business processes
Virtually seamless horizontal and vertical integration of information, communication and automation technology throughout the organization is needed to address the complexity of today’s processes. The buzzword in the industry is seamless communications. Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), which are normally positioned between the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and control system levels, can be used to optimize business process on the shop floor, improve product quality, increase process reliability, (particularly in the pharmaceutical industry) and reduce compliance and validation effort.
Currently, there are not more than twenty fully integrated systems worldwide, but the conditions are right for wide scale deployment of MES, because this technology is well established in many partial implementations. In addition, many control systems, which were originally installed in the 1980’s, will soon need to be replaced. Installation of a new system offers the ideal opportunity to add MES functionality. The major MES suppliers will showcase their systems at ACHEMA 2006.

The rise of fieldbus technology
Fieldbus undoubtedly has a role to play in company-wide data integration. At ACHEMA 2003, users were critical of what they perceived as insufficient interoperability and the lack of fieldbus-enabled devices. The situation is totally different at ACHEMA 2006. A wide range of fieldbus-enabled components is now available. The introduction of fieldbus barriers has led to a breakthrough in connectivity, and it enables users to reduce wiring, planning and installation costs. Equipment manufacturers, users and user groups are now taking a pragmatic approach to the diversity of fieldbus systems.
A few years ago, many people in the industry were still talking about one single international fieldbus standard, but there is now a realization that this will never happen. Most equipment manufacturers offer a number of fieldbus protocols, enabling users to choose the best solution for their particular application. The FISCO model enables fieldbus systems to move into potentially explosive zones.
User organizations and manufacturers will present fieldbus system success stories in the process industry at ACHEMA. Based on the experience they have gained in a number of projects, users claim that this technology is now firmly established in the process industry. Initially, the main benefit was perceived to be reduced wiring, but users now recognize that fieldbus systems save time and money during commissioning and ongoing operations.

Improving yield with process analytics
The relatively new field of process analytics promises to be exciting diring the next few years. In the past, the technology was focused on cost savings resulting from the optimal use of instrumentation and process control technology in selected process steps or subsystems. Today, significant improvements can be achieved using intelligent process analytics in combination with sophisticated control technology across a network of systems. Traditional analytical methods have turned out to be a gold mine.
Online process analytics now offers opportunities for process optimization that no one could envisage just a short time ago. It is now possible to determine the exact composition of intermediates and finished products, whereas in the past it was only possible to capture surrogate parameters online. This provides an excellent basis for substantial process improvement. Optical techniques including infrared, near infrared (NIR) and
Raman spectroscopy have proved to be very useful, but process engineers are also looking at chromatographic systems. In cases where these technologies were used, users have been able to achieve significant cost savings or make noticeable improvements in product quality.
The “Process Analytics” working group was founded by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the DECHEMA in 2005 to provide a supportive framework and generate stimulus for this new interdisciplinary field.

High-level maintenance strategies
Maintenance and minimal downtime are part of the process optimization equation, and asset management systems (AM) will have a bigger role to play in the future. In the process industry, the list of assets includes components, machines, vessels, pipes, package units and process control equipment and devices. The production process depends on the availability of system components as well as on system operating characteristics and process control. This topic will be the subject of intensive discussions at the ACHEMA 2006 stands and at the congress.

The future role of wireless technology
Wireless transmission has been a topic of discussion in the process industry for a long time. The technology admittedly has some attractive features. It reduces the need for complicated, expensive cabling at large chemical plants. Maintenance personnel who are out conducting inspections on the production floor can remain in contact with the control centre. Isolated instrumentation, for example pumps stations located at remote sites in the mountains, can now be integrated into the automation strategy.
Wireless applications in the process industry cannot be limited to mere replacement of cabling to provide connectivity for sensors and other data sources. It is important to take advantage of the flexibility which wireless components offer. Ease of use, visualization, parameterization and diagnostics via remote links are important considerations. There is also a need for long range communications, wide area coverage and good security. The data rate, infrastructure, potential sources of interference, range and integration into the existing data environment have to be evaluated prior to installation.
Rugged solutions already exist, which meet functional security requirements and are even suitable for use in potentially explosive areas. As is the case with the overall automation strategy, the crucial factor is integration into the overall system. We will probably never see completely wireless production, but wireless communication still has a lot to offer in the process industry. One of the podium discussions at ACHEMA will be dedicated to “wireless automation” (May 17th, 10 am – 11 am).