From: Emerson Process Management
Today, I/O accounts for almost 30 percent of all DCS hardware sales. The installed cost is even greater. I/O on demand represents an opportunity to reduce these costs.
One of the biggest challenges facing end users today is the management of their installed base of process automation systems. Meanwhile, the state of DCS hardware has not changed in any significant way. End users do not want to replace their installed base of systems with functional replacements that are almost an exact copy of the old system in terms of functionality and architecture.
Project justification today is extraordinarily difficult, and any system being replaced is going to have to provide a superior business value proposition, which means lower installed cost, lower lifecycle cost, and increased agility and ability to take advantage of rapidly emerging business opportunities. End users are also under increased pressure to reduce downtime, both planned and unplanned. Control system migration usually requires the control system and the process to be shut down, and is typically conducted during scheduled maintenance turnarounds.
The process automation system, presented in this whitepaper, has taken some big steps to address these project and lifecycle related issues. With a completely redesigned hardware architecture using the guiding principles of Human Centered Design, it has morphed conventional DCS I/O into a completely modular format for each individual channel that features characterizable modules (CHARMs), which can be configured for any point in a location independent manner. It eliminates the need for terminal blocks and much of the additional wiring and cabinet space associated with conventional DCSs. This also reduces the labor cost of installing all that wiring and termination. Time to startup is also improved due to the reduced hardware content and workload.
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Published: 01/24/2011 | Emerson Process Management
