Chemical Processing - May 2008 - (Page 9)

555 West Pierce Road, Suite 301, Itasca, IL 60143 Phone: (630) 467-1300 Fax: (630) 467-1109 www.chemicalprocessing.com E-mail: cpnews@putman.net Subscriptions/Customer Service: (888) 644-1803 or (847) 559-7360 EdItoRIaL StaFF MaRk RoSEnzWEIg, editor in chief, x478 mrosenzweig@putman.net kEn SChnEPF, managing editor, x442 kschnepf@putman.net ERIn ERICkSon, Senior digitaL editor, x432 eerickson@putman.net SEán ottEWELL, editor at Large ireland sottewell@putman.net ContRIbutIng EdItoRS andREW SLoLEY, troubLeShooting coLumniSt LYnn L. bERgESon, reguLatory coLumniSt gaRY Faagau, energy coLumniSt dIRk WILLaRd, coLumniSt dESIgn & PRoduCtIon StEPhEn C. hERnER, group art director, x312 sherner@putman.net toM WaItEk, aSSociate art director, x413 twaitek@putman.net RIta FItzgERaLd, production manager, x468 rfitzgerald@putman.net EdItoRIaL boaRd Vic edWardS, aker Kvaerner tim franK, dow chemical ben paterSon, eli Lilly roy SanderS, consultant eLLen turner, eastman chemical ben WeinStein, procter & gamble Jon WorSteLL, Shell chemical SheiLa yang, fluor corp. FROM THE EDITOR << What’s needed in process automation? A recent survey of end users provides an extensive wish list As this month’s cover story on WirelesshArt (p. 18) clearly underscores, process automation provides increasing options for improving plant operations. Groups like the hArt communication Foundation and vendors conscientiously strive to add features and capabilities. Unlike consumer products, where enhancements too often reflect what electronics allow rather than what buyers need, process automation advances generally aim to satisfy actual market demands. control system vendors welcome and, indeed, actively solicit suggestions. i attend their annual conferences and can attest to the importance they place on end-user inputs in directing product development. vendors, of course, closely guard much of the information gathered at such user group meetings. so, i was drawn to a presentation — “the next generation of process automation, the users’ requirements” — in march at interphex 2008 in Philadelphia. scott sommer, automation technology manager in the conshohocken, Pa., office of the Jacobs engineering Group described the results of some canvassing he’d done. in an admittedly nonscientific survey of end users, he asked only one question: “What single feature, capability, interface, application or other characteristic would you like to see added to future process control systems products offered in the industrial marketplace?” he received 110 responses. these identified about 30 unique features desired. i don’t have room to list them all, but i’ll highlight several in each of the five categories he sorted them into. For field instrumentation: • disposable instrumentation for disposable process components; • power-over-Ethernet instruments; and • Class 1 Division 1-rated I/O modules. For controllers: • built-in support for wireless instrumentation and wireless communication to remote I/O racks; • built-in IP security; and • relational database capability. For the human/machine interface: • wireless portable “Mini-HMI” that don’t require development of an alternative set of operator screens; and • smart alarming, with wireless alerts. For control system platforms: • centralized and usable communications diagnostics; • a “program compare” feature for all SCADA and control applications; and • universal development platform and data definitions for both process and building control. For batch execution and reporting: • standardized batch data format; and • configurable web-based tools for online batch review and release. Develop your own process automation wish list. For interfacing with mes and business systems: • a user-funded consortium that supports a library of standard application code and solutions. Do you have a wish list of what you want next in process automation? it pays to develop one and let your vendors know. CP MIkE bREnnER, group pubLiSher, x487 mbrenner@putman.net bRIan MaRz, pubLiSher, x411 bmarz@putman.net adMInIStRatIvE StaFF John M. CaPPELLEttI, preSident/ceo JuLIE CaPPELLEttI-LangE, Vice preSident RoSE SouthaRd, it director JERRY CLaRk, Vice preSident of circuLation JaCk JonES, circuLation director REPRIntS CLaudIa StaChoWIak, marKeting manager claudia@fostereprints.net 1-866-879-9144 x121 fax: 219-561-2019 FoStER REPRIntS 4295 ohio Street michigan city, in 46360 Mark Rosenzweig Editor in Chief mrosenzweig@putman.net May 2008 • 9 Folio editorial excellence award Winner www.chemicalprocessing.com http://www.chemicalprocessing.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Chemical Processing - May 2008

From the Editor ChemicalProcessing.com Field Notes In Process Energy Saver Compliance Advisor WirelessHART signals a change at plants Avoid costly fabrication mistakes Watch out with variable speed pumping Hot cutover boosts control system migration Plant InSites Process Puzzler Equipment & Services Product Spotlight/Classifieds Ad Index End Point

Chemical Processing - May 2008

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