T. McEleney, Emerson, New York City, New York
From large petrochemical plants to smaller-scale specialty chemical operations, digital transformation is a significant technology and operational improvement trend throughout the global chemical industry.
Specialty chemical operators—including manufacturers of fine chemicals and chemical intermediates—are rapidly recognizing the benefits of using smart devices, data analytics and other digital technologies to transform their business operations. The latest generation of floor-to-clouda solutions can help improve predictive maintenance, reduce operating costs, and improve safety and sustainability in specialty chemical plants (FIG. 1).
Improve process material flow and control. Specialty chemical plant operators seek to protect their facilities and sustain valuable uptime through better insight into the condition of their systems and equipment, which is where floor-to-cloud technology comes into play.
Plant operators can take their first steps to leverage the power of digital transformation technology with the right combination of smart fluid control and pneumatic solutions. These components and systems ensure the proper movement of oil, gas or chemicals through the reliable actuation of process valves and actuators.
When specialty chemical processes operate with unmeasured parameters or unknown anomalies, a lack of real-time data can compromise valve systems, resulting in equipment failure and costly, unplanned shutdowns.
Rather than a reactive approach to equipment management, digital sensors and smart valve systems reveal the real-time health and condition of assets, enabling operators to make informed, proactive decisions that maintain their valve systems and minimize downtime.
Floor-to-cloud solutions apply a range of digital technologies to improve the efficiency and performance of many kinds of industrial operations. The integration of smart sensors, measurement devices, and automated pneumatic valves and actuators into these systems can unlock valuable process data and achieve greater efficiency. Combining these elements with powerful programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and edge controllers provides real-time, actionable insights to a production system.
This can ultimately improve chemical process throughput, reduce operating costs and improve safety, yields and sustainability. Specialty chemical plants can use these systems to streamline their operations, maximize asset performance and minimize rework.
Boost yields and productivity with discrete diagnostic devices. To improve process yields, product quality and profitability, specialty chemical companies are upgrading the fluid control devices that automate key stages of their production processes. Through digital transformation, smart sensors and switches collect vital data about process valves, enabling operators to see cycles, temperature, contact status, position and other measurable inputs in real time. This data is transmitted through devices such as a discrete valve controller, which sends sensor data to a distributed control system (DCS) for the valves. The DCS analyzes, visualizes and translates the data into dashboards that operators can easily interpret and use to make better, faster decisions to improve chemical production results. These dashboards can be accessed on mobile human-machine interfaces (HMIs) by personnel moving throughout the plant, delivering preset alerts and valve performance information.
With this real-time data, presented in actionable formats, personnel can more rapidly repair or replace a component that is approaching a failure threshold. This helps keep productivity and yields at optimum levels and improves plant safety.
One manufacturer found that expanding the use of discrete diagnostics devices helped meet key safety goals. This application combined an intelligent proximity switch, wireless data transmitter and an industrial analytics platform to provide a cost-effective monitoring solution for safety showers and eyewash stations (FIG. 2). This safety monitoring solution reduced installation costs and time by 85% compared to wired systems, all while improving first responder awareness to safety incidents. By alerting personnel and pinpointing the exact location of the safety showers, the company has been able to meet the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) requirement of a 4-min maximum response time for emergency care.
In addition, the floor-to-cloud solutiona also digitally records field inspection records—something that had previously been a manual process. Automating this process helps streamline routine production operations, increases staff availability by eliminating a time-consuming manual activity and improves record accuracy.
Advantages of complete valve controller solutions. Upgrading sensor and plant information systems is one step on the path to digital transformation. Specialty chemical plant operators can build on these advantages when they identify key areas for complete floor-to-cloud solutions. These digital platforms can facilitate digital technology integration, installation and usage.
Some discrete valve controllers, also known as switchboxes, combine digital sensing technology with highly addressable remote transducer (HART) communications modules and other components, such as a solenoid valve for piloting.
The switchbox sits on top of the valve package. As the position-sensing switch monitors valve position, the HART module captures data from the sensor and sends it to the control system, which analyzes it and carries out appropriate actions. Analytics and diagnostic information about valve conditions—including position percentage, transition dwell time, device temperature and cycle count—are captured and analyzed. This can be done locally, at the process point, using advanced edge controller systems.
Simultaneously, this performance data is aggregated from across the plant and delivered to cloud-based data mining and analysis tools for in-depth insights into overall plant and single process performance. Components and systems in different areas of the plant, and the same processes and components at different plants, can be analyzed for divergent performance to pinpoint where system repairs or upgrades should occur.
These integrated switchbox solutions can help specialty chemical plant operators solve several challenges. Continuously monitoring performance lets operators improve the visibility of the valve system’s condition, while alerts based on preset parameters shift plant maintenance from being reactive to proactive.
One specialty chemical company implemented a complete switchbox solution as part of a digital transformation-driven plant upgrade. The company wanted to capture key data, such as the position of the valve, air loss pressure (in the form of an alarm) and solenoid failure information. The solution incorporated a custom actuator sensor interface (ASI) package. It included a pilot valve (FIG. 3), switchbox and pressure switches, as well as an air loss pressure alarm and communication interface on the valve and switchbox package. This solution now provides much better insight into potential failure modes, especially since the previous switchbox lacked air loss information and diagnostics. Prepackaged, custom solutions such as this can also free up purchasing, finance, logistics and order management resources, lowering procurement costs by up to 30%.
Transforming specialty chemical plant performance. There are additional ways that floor-to-cloud solutions can help specialty chemical companies overcome challenges, increase productivity and gain a competitive advantage in the market. The key is to recognize that specialty chemical plants can use digitally transformed valve piloting solutions to help solve critical process control challenges and help improve safety, uptime and sustainability.
When manufacturers take a comprehensive look at every point in a facility where improved data and increased control will pay dividends, new opportunities for smart solutions will become clear. Working with a technology supplier with a comprehensive and integrated portfolio of floor-to-cloud solutions can help speed the process of digital transformation. HP
NOTES
a Emerson’s Floor-to-Cloud™ solutions
b TopWorx™ GO™ Switch Safety Shower and Eyewash station
c Emerson’s ASCO™ Series RCS redundant control system
Tom McEleney is a Product Marketing Manager focused on process industries within the industrial automation business at Emerson. He earned a Bch degree in chemical engineering from Villanova University, and an MS degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.