Live from 2015 Honeywell Users Group Americas

Headlines from June 24, 2015

Cybersecurity threats and attacks are always mutating, so protective measures must be equally vigilant and adaptive. Luckily, process manufacturers and other industrial organizations have many partners, such as Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) and Intel, who can help them coordinate protection of their systems. Read more >>

ExxonMobil takes on electrical integration

"We continue to challenge everyone on things that we can continue to improve," ExxonMobil's Sandy Vasser said during the 2015 Honeywell Users Group Americas conference. The automation group has made terrific strides toward taking their work off the critical project path, "now we're challenging the electrical group to do the same." Read more >>

At the 2015 Honeywell User Group (HUG) Americas symposium in San Antonio, Texas, HPS and Intel Security announced they will collaborate to help bolster protection of critical industrial infrastructure and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Read more >>

"To make IIoT information useful, we must be able to put it and its context in a common language, analyze it and feed it to someone who can use it to do something," said Matrikon's Darek Kominek. The IIoT empowers digital business applications that allow companies to work together on common problems and better serve their customers, and for those open to embrace the IIoT, there are three major challenges to overcome. Read more >>

Reliance drives culture change with a digital revolution

Everyone knows to keep it simple, but it's rare that any simplification project is as gigantic as Reliance Industries Ltd.'s recent effort to update and standardize many of the legacy process automation and other systems at six major sites containing 120 refining and petrochemical plants. Read more >>

Headlines from June 23, 2015

Several years ago, Kao Specialties Americas' batch chemicals plant in High Point, N.C., had reached that inevitable point in any highly automated manufacturing facility's life. Its aging distributed control system (DCS) and associated production management applications no longer delivered the performance needed to compete in the chemical industry of today. It was time to modernize. Read more >>

To decide which process applications and procedures to automate, ExxonMobil's Rose Thomas reported that potential users must weigh several factors, including frequency of execution, degree of console interaction from in the field to the console itself, number of steps, parallel activities, consequence of error, and fidelity of procedure documents. Read more >>

The end of an era: DuPont's last panel board

Migrating seven DCS systems in the past five years has given Nicholas Sands, CAP, PE, ISA Fellow and Manufacturing Fellow at DuPont, plenty of insight into how the right tools can save time and money, and allow a control engineer to focus on control strategy instead of configuration. Read more >>

It might seem illogical to invest in improvements during lean times, but spending on repairs, renovations and new capabilities when business is down and production is slow makes better long-term sense than trying to revamp when business is good and production is running at full capacity. Read more >>

"Environmental preservation and regulatory compliance are very important to our customers, and this year's winning project shows how UniSim technology can help solve serious problems for the process automation industry," said Ali Raza, VP of the Advanced Solutions business for HPS. Read more >>

Headlines from June 22, 2015

HUG 2015 opens with clear vision for tough times

According to Vimal Kapur, president, Honeywell Process Solutions, owner/operators are specifically challenged to do more with less, operate safely and in compliance, leverage technology to stay relevant and manage the rising skills gap. Kapur described how Honeywell is helping operators meet those challenges with strategies, technologies and services. Read more >>

It's important to know the details of the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, smart interfaces and other cutting-edge technologies. But expertise in process control and automation is what gives users, integrators and their suppliers the insight and perseverance to precisely apply these latest components and software. Read more >>

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition. Domain expertise and selective application is needed to reap benefits and manage risks. Continuous evolution may be just what the process industries need to explore and digest the new possibilities afforded by the IIoT. Read more >>

Most of today's users are overwhelmed by paperwork, voluminous reports and all kinds of data overload, as well as disparate systems and equipment that aren't able to connect and communicate with each other. Luckily, just when it seems like there's no help in sight, one brave historian technology is stepping up to lend a hand. Read more >>

Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) will be the integrated main automation contractor (I-MAC) for the expansion project. In this role, HPS will be responsible for designing, delivering and installing the automation, instrumentation, controls, and safety and security systems. Read more >>