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Headlines from April 25, 2012 Show News
BASF Rejects 'Rip and Replace' with System 800xA
At ABB Automation & Power World 2012, ABB has its System 800xA control system on display in the Technology & Solutions Center, showing how the platform can provide an evolutionary upgrade path that preserves legacy control system investments. Attendees got the opportunity to hear one customer's account of how his plant has been able to evolve its control system.
The Challenge of a Multigenerational Workforce
Bridging generation gaps is never easy. But doing it successfully is increasingly crucial for multigenerational teams of engineers, technicians and other industrial professionals. "Research indicates that electric utilities worldwide are expecting to lose 40% of their staff to retirement by 2015," said Dirk Hughes, director of Luminant Academy.
Control System Evolution at Bayer: 24 Years and Counting
"In more than 24 years of partnership with ABB, Bayer has managed a program of continuous upgrades to its control systems," said David Kavanaugh, process control systems engineer for Bayer, who, along with Mike Kyllo, discussed the company's migration journey at ABB Automation & Power World 2012 in Houston.
The Energy Performance Contract: Better than Doing Nothing
"There's no downside to energy efficiency projects," says Pierre Langlois, president, Econoler. Not only do they reduce costs, help the environment and put people to work–you also usually get new, more reliable equipment that improves reliability and productivity. "So why are so few implemented?"
Virtualized Computing Aids Process Visualization
Virtualization, in which application and operating system software are essentially abstracted from the computer hardware on which they run, is a well-established practice in the world of IT. But now the discipline is being applied to process control and automation systems–even control room operator stations and collaborative displays.
How to Build a Better Operator
If you want to keep your plant operators performing at optimal levels, how many alarms should you try to hold your system to? A commonly quoted number is 10 alarms in 10 minutes. But how do you know whether that's right for your group? What's the best way to present procedures to those operators...
