Eliminating nuisance and non-actionable alarms means better operator effectiveness.

Software reduces control system alarm volumes by more than 95% achieving EEMUA 191 recommended alarm performance levels.

Rompetrol Rafinare has reduced distributed control system (DCS) alarm volumes by more than 95% using DeltaV™ AgileOps operations management software at its Petromidia refinery in Navodari, (RO). The project improved control system alarm performance, increased operator effectiveness and brought refinery alarm rates within the Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association (EEMUA) 191 guideline recommendations at Romania’s largest refinery.

“Modern control systems provide enormous amounts of operational information, but operators need the right context and visibility to act effectively,” explained Guido Wink, vice president of Emerson’s control systems and software business in Europe. “DeltaV AgileOps helps organisations continuously monitor and improve alarm system performance so operators can focus on the events that matter most to safe, efficient operation.”

With an annual processing capacity of approximately five million tonnes of fuel products, the Petromidia facility operates a broad range of conversion units and maintains a Nelson Complexity Index of 9.32, creating significant volumes of process data and alarms. Over time, control system alarms had evolved beyond recommended best practices, exposing operators to high alarm volumes, particularly during plant disturbances. Chattering alarms also contributed unnecessary noise, making it more difficult for operators to identify and respond to critical process events. Operators routinely experienced alarm flooding, while some alarms remained permanently active under normal operating conditions.

To address these challenges, Rominserv, Rompetrol’s engineering and maintenance services provider, collaborated with Emerson to improve alarm quality and reduce nuisance alarms across the refinery. The team implemented Emerson’s DeltaV AgileOps software to provide continuous visibility into alarm performance, including average and peak alarm rates, recurring alarm sequences and time spent outside recommended operating thresholds.

DeltaV AgileOps software captures alarm and event data directly from the DeltaV Distributed Control System which operates the plant, enabling engineering teams to identify high-frequency alarms, stale alarms and nuisance ‘bad actor’ alarms responsible for disproportionate alarm activity. Using performance dashboards and historical trending tools, refinery personnel evaluated alarm behaviour during steady-state operation, start-up conditions and process disturbances, while validating proposed changes to alarm limits, priorities and suppression strategies against actual plant data.

As a result of the project, the refinery reduced alarm generation from more than two million alarms per month during normal operation to fewer than 50,000 alarms per month. According to EEMUA 191 guidelines, operators should receive no more than one alarm every ten minutes during steady-state operation.

“Alarm management plays a critical role in maintaining safe, efficient refinery operations,” said Nilca George, process engineering director, Rompetrol Rafinare. “The continuous alarm performance monitoring and analytics provided by DeltaV AgileOps has significantly reduced operator alarm burden while improving overall operational awareness. The resulting system is more stable and better aligned with actual plant conditions, enabling operators to focus on meaningful alarms and respond more effectively to process disturbances.”

The implementation also improved long-term visibility into control system performance through automated alarm and event reporting. Existing historical alarm and event retention was extended – from approximately four to five days to nearly two months – enabling more effective analysis of recurring issues and supporting better-informed maintenance and optimisation decisions.

---

@EmersonExchange @EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @HHC_Lewis  @rompetrol @EEMUAnews #PAuto #PetroChem

Enhanced control system released.

Acelerates the path to an OT-ready enterprise operations platform to seamlessly integrate and optimise industrial operations.

The DeltaV™ Automation Platform has been enhanced through the release of version 16 of its Distributed Control System (DCS) and integrated Safety Instrumented System. DeltaV version 16.LTS delivers software-defined capabilities that reduce automation costs, enhance operational intelligence, improve data visibility across the enterprise and strengthen cybersecurity. This long-term support (LTS) release consolidates new field-proven capabilities in a single release.

“The speed of technological innovation and rise of industrial AI coupled with growing compute demands at the control layer have created an inflection point requiring a new way for companies to unify operational data and scale automation across the enterprise,” said Nathan Pettus, president of Emerson’s process systems and solutions business. “DeltaV version 16.LTS is the next step in delivering the software-defined enterprise operations platform that will meet those needs, unlocking unlimited flexibility and future-proofing technology choices for years to come.”

With enhanced modularity and flexibility, DeltaV version 16.LTS enables efficient deployment and expansion of automation systems. This includes access to the DeltaV IQ Controller, a fault-tolerant, modular, software-defined controller deployed in a server-based environment and able to handle the most demanding process control applications. In addition, Emerson’s flexible subscription model, DeltaV Flex System, provides companies with full DeltaV DCS capability that allows companies to pay for utilisation over time and scale up or down quickly as market factors dictate.

DeltaV version 16.LTS also integrates intelligence via more seamless data and I/O connectivity enabled by next-generation field networks, providing increased intelligence to optimise and maintain assets and processes. Native support for PROFINET over Ethernet-APL on the DeltaV PK Controller enables high-speed connectivity to field devices in demanding environments across process and hybrid manufacturing operations.

DeltaV Continuous Historian Elite software builds on the power of Emerson’s AspenTech product portfolio to deliver an enhanced data foundation for enterprise-wide optimisation. Creating seamless connectivity between the DCS and enterprise data management solutions, Continuous Historian Elite allows contextualised data to flow freely across the enterprise to power analytics and AI.

Enhancements to DeltaV Live continue to provide an expanded, cohesive view of operations by streaming data through the DeltaV Edge Environment to support enterprise-level decision-making and situational awareness. The new DeltaV Live Enterprise View allows secure, read-only access to displays outside of the control room, making it possible to serve control room data to enterprise-level consumers for trending and continuous improvement of operations. Enhancements also include web application integration that empowers users to bring third-party software applications – such as optimisation tools – natively into the DeltaV control interface.

DeltaV version 16.LTS will also maintain its International Society of Automation (ISA) System Security Assurance (SSA) Level 1 (L1) certification. ISA SSA L1 certification provides third-party assurance of secure-by-design practices that meet ISA/IEC-62443-3-3 and 4-1 requirements.

---

@EmersonExchange @Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #DCS

Updated DCS boosts plant efficiency and future-proof operations.

Distributed control system enhances plant connectivity, ensuring fast and reliable communication for optimal real-time data processing and control

Leveraging 30 years of continuous innovation and reliability, ABB’s updated Freelance 2024 distributed control system (DCS) offers greater plant adaptability, faster and more reliable device communication, improved system security, and seamless data exchange. The updated version ensures future-proof upgrades for existing projects and easy implementation in new projects.

ABB Freelance Product Family

“Today more than ever process industry plants need to be able to adapt quickly to stay relevant in a rapidly changing digital landscape with unpredictable market demands and increasing regulations,” said Stefan Basenach, Senior Vice President, Process Automation Technology, ABB. “Freelance 2024 is designed to help plant managers focus on strategic initiatives by simplifying operations and improving system flexibility. It meets current industrial demands and prepares plants for future technological advancements.”

Freelance 2024 facilitates enhanced connectivity, faster data transfer, more precise control and monitoring of data together with an improved network performance, leveraging the new PROFINET integration and support of Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (APL).

With its scalability and integration capabilities, Freelance 2024 is designed to help plant operators reduce downtime while simplifying tasks. NAMUR Open Architecture support via OPC UA ensures secure and more standardized data exchange across various systems and devices, increasing interoperability and simplifying the integration of new technologies. Plant agility is further enhanced thanks to Freelance 2024 controllers, which support Module Type Packages (MTP) for ‘plug and play’ Modular Automation.

As plant owners prepare for the next-generation workforce, Freelance 2024 helps bridge the skills gap with an intuitive, user-friendly interface that reduces training time and simplifies engineering, operations and maintenance.

---

@abb_automation @ABBgroupnews @admiralpr #PAuto

Turbomachinery controls.

Solution allows customers to bring industrial plants and assets online quickly and cost-effectively using single interface

ABB has signed a joint development agreement with US company Energy Control Technologies (ECT) to co-design and deliver an integrated turbomachinery controls solution which can be configured, operated and maintained within the ABB Ability™ System 800xA® distributed control system (DCS).

Pic: ECT

The ABB-ECT Integrated Compressor Controls (ICC) with Integrated Control Safety System (ICSS) offers customers a flexible solution that aims to reduce the footprint and complexity of their plant control system and will have the potential to contribute to automation and electrical CAPEX reductions of up to 20 percent for integrated projects, according to ABB estimates.

Turbomachinery, which is widely employed in industries including hydrogen, biofuels, carbon capture and storage, power generation and oil and gas, consumes large amounts of energy. Having integrated controls provides greater visibility to better manage the performance of the equipment and in turn increase energy efficiency, while reducing risk and cost.

The ABB-ECT ICC is achieved by eliminating traditional black box controls from the system architecture and having controls unified within the same 800xA ICSS System. The need for a separate operator workstation, I/O network, servers, networks, switches and other auxiliary systems is removed. This provides faster startup and greater machine protection, safety and stability.

Until now, installing turbomachinery controls has involved multiple systems, often from different suppliers, that need to be interfaced. Now, operators can benefit from one common platform, for both compressor and DCS controls, from which they can monitor the most critical and expensive assets of their plants – turbines, compressors, pumps and generators.

“We are pleased to collaborate with ABB on this innovative solution which will further help customers solve their most complex control issues across many sectors relying on turbomachinery,” said Paul Fisher, President at ECT. “ECT’s superior compressor control algorithms and technology integrated into the ABB Ability™ System 800xA® DCS will allow customers to run their turbomachinery control system in automatic all the time, providing users with increased production, energy efficiency, and machine protection.”

“This collaboration marks a significant development within the integrated turbomachinery control solutions market and we’re excited to already see uptake from some major US customers, with plans to roll out worldwide,” said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB Energy Industries. “Turbomachinery is essential to industry but ongoing innovation is necessary to enhance energy efficiency. Leveraging ABB’s technology presents an immediate opportunity to achieve our goal of helping customers to reduce energy demand by optimizing industrial processes.”

Under the agreement, ABB is providing the hardware, software and technical support for ECT to develop the turbomachinery solution for the 800xA platform, while ECT is providing the turbomachinery control algorithm and engineering design, among other assets.

---

@ABB_Energy @abb_automation @ABBgroupnews #PAuto #Power #Singapore

Control system update expands connectivity & streamlines control execution.

Control system software for seamless data integration and improved operational performance.

The DeltaV™ Automation Platform from Emerson is further expanded with the DeltaV Version 15 Feature Pack 2 update for its distributed control system (DCS). This feature pack release empowers users to easily transition to a DeltaV DCS from more third-party control systems, expands support for data-rich Ethernet device networks, and reduces the complexity of state-based control implementations.

As plants try to capture the most elusive performance gains to meet today’s ever-increasing efficiency and sustainability goals, they are looking for technologies that modernise control without excessive engineering risk, overhead and downtime. The latest release of the DeltaV control system continues the regular cadence between major DeltaV releases to help users more quickly realise the project savings and operational efficiencies that come with new features for their control system software.

“DeltaV Version 15 Feature Pack 2 provides users with new functionality, capabilities and enhancements to further expand seamless data and I/O integration, as well as applications to more easily modernise their operations, improve connectivity and collaboration, and lock in operational excellence,” said Claudio Fayad, vice president of technology for Emerson’s process systems and solutions business.

Today’s plants need to reap the benefits of modern, digital technologies that optimise operations and improve sustainability. However, one of the most common barriers to control system modernisation is the high cost and labour requirements of transitioning I/O. DeltaV IO.Connect, which lets users replace legacy control systems with modern DeltaV software and controllers while leaving legacy I/O infrastructure in place, now supports multiple third-party control systems.

Plants can now transition to a modern DeltaV control system from the most common third-party systems right away – immediately reaping the benefits of modern control – and transition their I/O infrastructure gradually, on their own schedule, to minimise downtime and risks.

Ethernet-based, high-speed, data-rich device networks continue to gain popularity across the automation landscape and will only accelerate as Advanced Physical Layer extends the application range in process and hybrid industries. With this latest release, the DeltaV control system has increased the types of data as well as the diagnostic capabilities of the wide range of supported Ethernet-based communication protocols, including PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, OPC UA, and Modbus TCP. These enhancements advance the solid foundation of DeltaV automation to exchange increasing volume and variety of data from the next generation of field device networks.

State-based control is a key enabler as many plants drive towards autonomous and semi-autonomous operations to reduce downtime and minimise safety risk. With DeltaV Version 15 Feature Pack 2, engineering and operations teams now have more options for how state-based control sequences execute when operations dictate a change in logic. This optional behaviour enables safe and reliable operations while improving the flexibility and maintainability of state-based logic. To improve operator situational awareness, the watch area capability of DeltaV Live has also been enhanced to persist as operators navigate between displays.

---

@Emerson_News @EmersonExchange @EMR_Automation @HHC_Lewis #PAuto

Digital control system evolution project.

A project evolving ABB’s Distributed Control System (DCS) from a legacy version Advant MOD 300 to the new AC 800M, extending the plant’s life, as well as improving performance, availability and reliability is developing at the Naphtachimie plant in France.

The project, marking a significant evolution from Advant MOD 300 to AC 800M, is part of a plan to modernize the entire digital control system for the facility, and demonstrates ABB's commitment to helping customers extend the life of their automation investments.

Naphtachimie produces ethylene, propylene, hydrogen, methane, ethane, and fuel for the French market. Evolving the DCS will extend the life of the digital control system by decades and will help to optimize operations, minimize shutdown times, and enable more efficient project scheduling for the plant, which is located in Lavéra, Southern France, around 40 kilometers from Marseille.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Naphtachimie, going back to 1986,” said Louis-Christophe Delgado, Local Division Manager at ABB Energy Industries in France. “We have an extensive installed base with the company, and we follow an evolution plan that helps customers continue to get value from existing investments, while enabling them to evolve to new technologies.”

“ABB's comprehensive plan for technological evolution aligned with our modernization needs at the Lavéra site,” said Christophe Argenson, Purchasing Director at Naphtachimie. “We trust ABB to support us in the development of our new DCS”

The evolution on the controller layer from Advant MOD 300 to AC 800M comes with many benefits for the petrochemical facility. ABB's AC 800M enables smooth and precise system upgrades and evolutions, with minimal disruption to plant operations. Furthermore, adopting a stepwise evolution approach allows customers to plan capital expenditures in sync with and during already planned maintenance shutdowns.

Leveraging proprietary ABB tools facilitates an error-free evolution process for enhanced control system efficiency and reliability while retaining the intellectual property of the DCS control applications. The continued use of the already upgraded ABB Ability™ System 800xA® operator stations for the human machine interface reduces training needs for operators, ensuring a smooth transition and sustained operational performance.

“This project reflects ABB's leadership in control system evolution, emphasizing efficiency, strategic planning and technological excellence,” said Enrico Mantero, Hub Service Manager for Central and Southern Europe at ABB Energy Industries.

In addition to supporting the evolution to AC 800M, ABB will extend the current service agreement and provide a dedicated ABB expert stationed at the site.

---

@abb_automation @ABBgroupnews @ABBMeasurement @admiralpr #PAuto #France

New comprehensive automation platform.

SCADA, MES and operations management software technologies to promote smarter, safer, optimised and more sustainable operations with new DeltaV.

As part of its Boundless Automation™* vision for helping organisations deliver more seamless operations, Emerson is evolving its DeltaV™ brand into the DeltaV Automation Platform. The newly expanded automation platform will include supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, manufacturing execution systems (MES) and operations management software alongside the distributed control systems (DCS), safety instrumented systems (SIS) and other technologies that have been part of the brand for decades. The evolution builds a more comprehensive automation platform to make it easier for users to deliver smarter, safer, more optimised and more sustainable operations.

Organisations across nearly every industry including life sciences, specialty chemical, mining and extraction, food and beverage, energy and more are experiencing new complexities as they face the modern challenge of improving throughput, performance and quality while simultaneously increasing the sustainability of operations. Navigating this increased complexity requires seamless mobility of data, reliable performance and advanced control strategies from the plant floor to the corporate boardroom. The comprehensive nature of the new DeltaV Automation Platform will empower users to move away from ‘plant-by-plant’ strategies to ‘site-by-site’ or even enterprise automation solutions – the more advanced, integrated automation strategies that are increasingly necessary to compete in a complex global marketplace.

“In an era of increased demand and higher sustainability targets, today’s organisations are looking for ways to manage and contextualise data across the many software solutions they use to help unlock easier, faster and safer decisions,” said Nathan Pettus, president of Emerson’s process systems and solutions business. “The DeltaV Automation Platform will combine a flexible, fit-for-purpose portfolio of DCS, SIS, SCADA, MES and operations management software with unmatched application and cross-industry expertise to help cross-functional teams across the enterprise more easily achieve their goals.”

With an extensive portfolio unified under one brand, users will have access to a comprehensive technology ecosystem that provides a broader suite of solutions. Organisations will more quickly and easily find the right solutions to meet their specific needs and will gain easier access to service, training and support.

All solutions in the DeltaV Automation Platform will be seamlessly supported through the Guardian™ digital customer experience. Users will have a single point of access to Guardian’s digital tools and subscriptions for all their solutions, providing easy access to real-time monitoring, in-depth analytics and actionable insights.

The continuing evolution of the platform will also extend to future Emerson products. Development for DeltaV Automation Platform offerings will focus on products and systems that communicate and work better together, offering users a more cohesive and streamlined experience.

---

* See also "Towards "Boundless Automation." (25/10/2022), "Towards next-generation automation platform." (EMREX Americas - 4/10/2023), " Boundless exploration, engaging and evolution on the Rhine!" (EMREX EMEA 4/3/2024)

@EmersonExchange @Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @HHC_Lewis #PAuto

DCS upgrade gives enhanced flexibility and connectivity.

Update features new PK Controller functionality for advanced physical layer and consumption-based deployments

Building upon the innovative technologies and solutions in the DeltaV™ distributed control system (DCS) Emerson has just released DeltaV Version 15 Feature Pack 1. This feature pack release includes new technology and enhancements to current capabilities that not only improve control system situational awareness and performance, but also help ensure more efficient, sustainable operations.

Hybrid and process industry business drivers are continually changing as market dynamics shift product demand and costs. A modern, flexible control system is critical to help manufacturing sites and operations personnel adapt and drive productivity through seamless data connectivity and intuitive decision support applications. The latest release of the DeltaV control system continues the regular cadence between major DeltaV releases to help users more quickly realize the project savings and operational efficiencies that come with new features for their control system software.

“In an era of market volatility, increased focus on sustainability and few spare personnel, organizations are exploring automation projects that will expand their flexibility to help them stay nimble, making it easier to quickly deliver quantifiable value,” said Claudio Fayad, vice president of technology for Emerson’s process systems and solutions business. “Expanded connectivity and subscription options provide organizations the flexibility they need to design projects with very specific outcomes, measure the success quickly, and then make changes they need to rapidly bring return on investment in line with expectations.”

The DeltaV PK Controller line now includes built-in, native integration of PROFINET, further enhancing the wide variety of applications and system sizes addressed by the PK Controller line. With PROFINET capability, the PK Controller is now ready to integrate advanced physical layer (APL) devices, accelerating the adoption of high-speed devices in process environments. Additionally, the DeltaV PK Flex Controller is the newest addition to the line, adding flexible, software-defined control capacity that can scale and adjust as engineering or operational requirements change. Delivered as a subscription, the DeltaV PK Flex Controller reduces upfront cost, eliminates complexity associated with control engineering tasks and allows customers to easily adjust control capacity throughout the lifecycle of a facility.

The extensive suite of software applications that are core to the DeltaV system have also been enhanced in this feature pack, delivering more operational insights through robust analytics and intuitive operator environments. The newest version of DeltaV advanced control applications—Neural, Predict, and Predict Pro—are now available in 1-, 3-, or 5-year term-based licenses improving flexibility and reducing upfront investment supporting a quicker return on investment.

In addition, improved integration of web applications further establishes DeltaV Live as the center of a robust operational intelligence ecosystem providing a single, cohesive view of operations by securely integrating data, video streams, enterprise analytics and other decision support applications. This new capability adds to the existing set of high-performance tools in DeltaV Live to maximize situational awareness and deliver the ultimate operator experience.

---

@EmersonExchange @Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #EmrEx

Automation for biomass power plant.

ABB has secured its ninth contract with TOYO Engineering Corporation in Japan to supply its distributed control system (DCS) ABB Ability™ Symphony Plus, to the Wakayama Gobo Biomass Power Plant, around 120 km south of Osaka.

When operational in 2025^[1] the 50 MW biomass power plant, which will use wood pellets and agricultural byproduct as a feedstock, will be capable of supplying enough power for up to 110,000 Japanese households a year. The plant is being developed in partnership by Enewill (formerly JAG Energy), Osaka Gas and SMFL MIRAI Partners who have employed engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor TOYO to design and build the facility.

ABB’s DCS solution will deliver complete visibility of operations, enabling operators to make informed decisions in real time to help optimize production, improve processes, and drive efficiencies. ABB will also deploy its Adaptive Execution™ project management methodology which utilizes digitalization to speed up delivery schedules and achieve faster site start up.

The new order, booked earlier this year, follows ongoing collaboration between ABB and TOYO, with the company integrating its automation solutions at eight other biomass facilities being constructed across Japan.

With domestic supply of energy increasing over four percent year-on-year, Japan, previously seen as a carbon intensive country^[2], is investing in ways to match growth in demand with reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. In 2022 its renewable energy output increased by 11.7 percent, driven primarily by solar power and biomass generation^[3].

“In its sixth Basic Energy Plan^[4], Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced a target of 8 GW for installed biomass capacity in the country by 2030 which would cover five percent of its projected power demand,” said Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries. “The nine projects that we are involved in will deliver a collective generation capacity of 500 MW, achieving over six percent of the Government’s target and providing energy to power more than one million households.”

Japan is currently the world’s fifth largest biomass market^[5] and is expected to grow by 5.4 percent a year until 2025 and 3.7 percent a year through the following decade^[6]. ABB is an established leader in the power generation market in Japan, with expertise when delivering process control systems. This, coupled with new initiatives that have been proven on other TOYO projects, made ABB the partner of choice.

---

[1] 50 MW biomass power plant
[2] Japan 2021 – Analysis - IEA
[3] FY2021 Energy Supply and Demand Report (Revised Report) (meti.go.jp)
[4] 6th_outline.pdf (meti.go.jp)
[5] Japan: biomass energy market size 2035 | Statista

@ABBgroupnews @ABBMeasurement @abb_automation @AdmiralPR #PAuto  #DCS #Japan

Enhanced Perimeter Defence for DCS.

NextGen Smart Firewall offers greater bandwidth, updated user-friendly interface and more granular roles for robust, easy-to-configure perimeter security

Perimeter security for the DeltaV™ distributed control system (DCS) is being improved by Emerson, with its new NextGen Smart Firewall, a purpose-built control system firewall designed to provide easy-to-install and easy-to-maintain perimeter security for all industries. More ruggedised construction, increased bandwidth, and role-based access provide users with increased performance and more granular access control.

Manufacturers need to secure their networks without complexity that would otherwise add administrative overhead to already busy operations teams. Emerson’s NextGen Smart Firewall features a user-friendly HTML5 web-based user interface, easy-to-understand set-up menus, and pre-defined DeltaV application rules. The ease-of-use helps DeltaV administrators and control engineers with no security or information technology (IT) expertise create secure connections for DeltaV applications.

“A critical element of Emerson’s vision of boundless automation architecture is secure connectivity between systems in the plant and across the enterprise,” said Claudio Fayad, vice president of technology for Emerson’s process systems and solutions business. “Emerson’s NextGen Smart Firewall delivers intuitive set-up and interfaces to provide plants with access to a much wider array of technologies – from control, to reliability, to sustainability and more – without the need to maintain a dedicated IT presence.”

Gigabit connections support improved performance for applications that require higher bandwidth. Ruggedised construction is well suited for harsh manufacturing environments. Emerson’s NextGen Smart Firewall’s advanced features include:

• Virtual private networks – increasing flexibility and security for geographically dispersed networks
• Network address translation – protecting network IP schemes and conserving addresses
• More granular user roles – administrators have full control, engineers may add or modify application rules, and auditors have read-only access to logs.

@EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @EmersonExchange @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #Cybersecurity

DCS leadership position maintained.

In a Distributed Control System market worth more than $15 billion (€14.12b), the official ARC Advisory Group report confirms that ABB has maintained its number one position with a leading share of 19%, as it continues to support the acceleration of digital transformation across industry.

The report highlights energy transition and sustainability as key growth drivers for ABB. Growth also came for ABB thanks to the upturn in DCS segments across the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology which was generated by continued external investment in vaccines and medications.

The ABB DCS has one of the largest installed bases in the world allowing them to support their customers on their digital journey through Innovation with Continuity. This in combination with a focus on customer initiatives such as OPAS, Namur and OPC Foundation have contributed to ABB’s on-going authority and agility within the DCS marketplace. A strong presence in the Asian growth market and across Europe have also helped ABB to remain number one.

Their DCS enables safe, smart and sustainable goods production, power generation and water purification to enhance the lives of people around the world. In the process and hybrid industries, ABB’s DCS is the heart of plant-level digitalization, helping producers to become more productive and profitable. Automatically controlling production processes, they assure high production availability, maximum asset utilization, increased process efficiency and optimum product quality.

ABB’s DCS is also a collaboration tool that integrates electrification, instrumentation, automation, telecommunications and safety. Supplementing its production role, data is gleaned from DCS to derive improvement actions that customer and ABB experts employ to drive plant and enterprise operations. An example of the best-in-class technology that producers turn to is ABB’s single-channel Select I/O. With its digital marshalling capability, Select I/O allows users to engineer large capital projects with maximum flexibility and resilience to late changes, thus reducing cost, schedule and footprint.

@ABBgroupnews @abb_automation @arc_advisory #PAuto

Optimising beer production.

ABB's Ability™ BeerMaker intelligent process control solution further supports breweries in their operational efficiency through digital transformation. ABB’s brewmaster, who has the notable achievement of qualifications from Technical University of Munich in Weihenstephan (D), devised the new package alongside a team with deep process knowhow.

It will benefit beermakers seeking to optimize their processes, reduce their impacts on water and energy resources and meet consumer demand for more sustainably crafted drinks. The new solution is based on the ABB Ability™ System 800xA^® *distributed control system and will help brewers improve process quality, achieve high engineering and operator efficiency, enhance safety and boost plant productivity. It has been made available to ABB’s end customers and channel partners.

As part of its launch, ABB Ability BeerMaker will be presented at this year’s drinktec, the world’s leading beverage and liquid food trade fair, held in Munich from September 12 to 16. The timing of the event coincides with the city’s Oktoberfest, which returns after a two-year break due to COVID-19 and runs from September 17 to October 3.

The process automation solution comprises a technological package including a control system with batch functionality following the worldwide S88 standard and a digital twin to simulate new recipes. Crafted and tested with brewing knowledge from ABB’s brewmaster, it can be adapted for each customer using a variety of parameters.

Ready-made and tested templates and objects bring a high level of automation and intelligence of plant functions into operators’ hands. There is a prepared inventory for queue handling, diagnostics and comprehensive cleaning in place (CIP) support.

Designed to meet the industry’s need for intuitive, visual solutions, BeerMaker will help to empower operators to manage their preferred operating procedures and have freedom to use the package on computers, tablet or mobile devices. Teams can gain greater process certainty by testing on a real-time digital twin, a complete and operational representation of the control system and a powerful tool for companies deciding on a new strategy to easily simulate new recipes.

Additional digital solutions based on ABB Ability™ Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) have the capabilities to identify energy consumption, beer or extract losses and provide reporting functions and dashboard visualization. These include the ABB Ability™ BatchInsight concept, which can use big data analytics to identify process anomalies at the earliest stages. Operators and customer brewmasters will benefit from making decisions in real time to further improves processes, quality and productivity.

“Our new solution is from our own ABB brewmaster for brewmasters and truly has domain-specific knowledge embedded as well as ABB’s expertise from years in this field,” said Marcello Gulinelli, Global Head of Food and Beverage, Process Automation, ABB.

“We’re confident it is a technological package that is ready for advanced and digital solutions,” said Gernut van Laak, Brewmaster and Global Food and Beverage Solution Manager, ABB. “It can be applied within a customer’s installed base to enhance efficiencies and help reach sustainability targets.”

“We are using the full breadth of our automation and control system platform and connect the whole factory, including shop floor operations, simulation, digital and control room solutions, with less engineering and always with the possibility for expansion. We’re looking forward to further work with brewing customers to optimize to their plant specifics.”

Breweries will experience intuitive controls and high-performance human-machine interfacing, fast detection and resolution of process disturbances, consistent alarm messages, report management and standard operating procedures (SOPs), while engineers will benefit from a structured application design with process technology functions, and powerful pre-testing with built-in simulation.

* ABB Ability System 800xA has helped the global technology leader to remain the #1 distributed control system market leader for 22 years as ranked by the ARC Advisory Group.

@ABBgroupnews @abb_automation #PAuto #Brewing

Software-driven, data-centric automation platform.

Driving faster, easier digital transformation to accelerate IT/OT convergence, enabling easy upgrades and modernization.

Emerson has released a new version of its DeltaV™ distributed control system (DCS). Version 15 of the DeltaV DCS helps plants digitally transform operations through improved production optimization and enhanced operator performance. New software designed to reduce the burden of IT support and modernization spend coupled with expanded analytics will help increase flexibility and speed to market and drive operational improvements.

Market forces and public expectation are putting more pressure than ever on manufacturers to drive improved performance and sustainability. Meeting these goals, especially in an era of personnel shortages, means making the most of available data. DeltaV version 15 expands access to critical data to provide every operator with actionable decision support. New infrastructure makes automation easier to set up and maintain while real-time analytics and an improved human machine interface (HMI) help operators improve situational awareness.

“As the Purdue Model of control system engineering continues to flatten and more manufacturers need visibility across the enterprise, the control system plays an increasingly important role in providing real-time access to highly-contextualized, democratized data,” said Claudio Fayad, vice president of technology for Emerson’s process systems and solutions business. “Version 15 continues our focus on intuitive, software-defined architectures to help operators and engineers meet the more sustainable, efficient future of process manufacturing.”

Project and operations teams rely on virtualization to reduce the hardware and energy footprint of the automation system while simultaneously increasing its availability. DeltaV now supports a hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) virtualization option that can be deployed in half the time of a traditional virtualization setup. DeltaV HCI is easy to scale and maintain and delivers improved performance. The HCI platform is easily expandable and scalable, allowing users to future-proof their investment, and is the foundation of the DeltaV evolution into a data-centric and software-defined system.

Users can increase their speed to market through the new DeltaV Spectral Process Analytical Technology (PAT). DeltaV Spectral PAT integrates two analytics solutions with the DeltaV DCS for real-time closed-loop control. This tighter control helps reduce human error and increase speed to market of quality therapies by moving plants closer to continuous manufacturing of drugs.

Enhancements to DeltaV Live, a modern HTML5-based, built for purpose HMI, empower operators with easy access to expert insights for more effective, efficient decisions that drive better performance and help personnel of any skill level. Teams can also unlock anytime, anywhere access to digital twin simulations from across the globe with the new software-as-a-service DeltaV Simulation Cloud, saving time and money with subscription options and facilitating easier collaboration among experts.

Easier, more flexible I/O integration lowers capital costs and improves modernizations. Built-in cybersecurity remains a priority, with DeltaV version 15 being ISASecure SSA Level 1 certified, providing end-to-end cybersecurity across the whole system and at all levels.

@EmersonExchange @EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @HHC_Lewis #PAuto

Control systems leadership in Finland.

ABB has signed a channel partner agreement with Insta Automation Oy^*, an independent specialist in industrial automation and digitalization solutions, to grow its control systems business in Finland.

The two companied will work together to strengthen their distribution channels, improve industry knowledge and increase lead generation across many industries, including water, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and energy. The deal follows a project that they have have already started work on together, deploying ABB Ability™ System 800xA distributed control system (DCS) at one of the country’s wastewater plants, and familiarity through Insta regularly purchasing ABB’s low voltage components and electrical equipment over many years. There will be opportunities for expansion to other automation system products and potential international cooperation.

The DCS – a digital platform for automated control and operation of plants and processes – sits at the heart of process and energy industries as they undergo digital transformation, ensuring safe, efficient and reliable operations and enabling data collection and analytics for real-time insights. The flagship ABB Ability System 800xA has helped ABB to remain the #1 distributed control system market leader for 22 years as ranked by the ARC Advisory Group. Around 35,000 ABB DCS have been installed in more than 100 countries to date.

“We know that this major partnership with ABB will be of great benefit to the Finnish market where there are modern, dynamic demands and world-leading innovations across industries,” said Jarkko Järvilehto, Vice President, Industrial Automation, Engineering and Turn-Key Services, Insta Automation. “Alongside ABB, a large and global player, we can grow our offering with proven technologies, solutions and training while evolving for our customer base. We look forward to sharing our own strengths and ideas as we move forward together.”

“Insta is known as a respected family business and has long been trusted as a pioneer of safe digitalization and futureproof solutions in Finland,” said Jukka Träskbäck, Head of System and Service Sales, Process Industries, ABB. “The demand for reliable automation solutions and digital transformation expertise is growing as all industries tackle the energy transition by preserving resources, reducing maintenance and supporting customers to cut their carbon emissions. Together, with DCS and other systems, we can work with many plants, mills and facilities.”

---

^*Insta is a Finnish family business with strong values and is a trusted partner for customers in intelligent industry, defense and cyber security. Combining its expertise with intelligent technology, the company improves customers’ performance as digitalization increases. Insta’s operating culture is founded on people, expertise and responsibility. It has more than 1,000 employees in Finland.

@ABBgroupnews #PAuto #Finland

Towards an instrumentation device profile for OPC UA Field eXchange.

The OPC Foundation (OPCF) and the FieldComm Group (FCG) are collaborating to drive multi-vendor interoperability of instrumentation devices based on OPC UA and the extensions for the field level, named OPC UA FX (Field eXchange). This development will incorporate preliminary work by both organizations. This will ensure that the market will have only one single standard. The aim is to provide an interoperable interface between PLC / DCS and instrumentation devices, such as transmitters, instruments, and actuators. The solution shall support different industries such as oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, water & wastewater, and pulp & paper.

To begin this work, a new OPC UA Instrumentation Working Group is being hosted by the OPC Foundation, under the leadership of the Field Level Communications (FLC) Initiative. Participation in the working group is open to members of the OPC Foundation, as well as corporate entity members of the FieldComm Group. Many well-known manufacturers in the process and factory automation industries are represented within this working group to ensure a uniform, worldwide, and coordinated standard for OPC UA-based instrumentation devices.

In order to achieve inter-vendor interoperability of instrumentation devices, the working group will add to the UAFX base specifications the definition of interfaces and behaviors which are typical for instrumentation devices, including:

• commonly used interfaces and data types for the industries mentioned above including functional safety,
• diagnostic information specific to instrumentation devices,
• operation modes of instrumentation devices,
• state machines and timing models for instrumentation-specific functionality, where appropriate.

The new instrumentation device profile specification will use PubSub and can be combined with different underlying communication protocols (e.g. UDP/IP) and physical layers (e.g. Ethernet-APL) to support all relevant use cases in discrete and process manufacturing, including safety instrumentation based on OPC UA Safety and deterministic data exchange based on Ethernet Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), where appropriate.

The Instrumentation Facet shall be complementary to the jointly-owned OPC 30081 / FCG TS10098 “OPC UA for Process Automation Devices (PA-DIM)” and other Companion Specifications. The working group will also strive to manage overlap with other information models already released or under development. Examples include, the models for “Calibration” (a Harmonization sub-group) and “Laboratory and Analytical Devices” (LADS working group).

Thoralf Schulz (ABB), Chairperson FCG says: “OPC Foundation and FieldComm Group joining forces in the Instrumentation Working Group is a significant milestone. This collaboration unifies separate volunteer initiatives previously underway in each organization, and creates the basis for a broadly accepted single standard. It will harmonize device integration while supporting the transition of existing device technologies and their installations into the future. Combined with FDI-based device management and the Advanced Physical Layer (APL) for the lower-layer connectivity, this is a major milestone towards a harmonized data exchange infrastructure, which will benefit both users of process automation as well as vendors of process automation products and solutions.” 

Thomas Hahn (Siemens), Vice President OPCF says: “Digitization needs interoperability. Interoperability needs standards. Extending the OPC UA framework to include an information model for instrumentation devices is important to ensure cross-vendor interoperability and common semantics. No single organization can achieve this alone! Therefore, cross-organizational collaboration is essential - from process automation to discrete manufacturing, from customer to provider, from machine tool builder to solution partners, and so on. Through this collaboration, an important step towards meeting the needs of our customers and the industry is achieved.”

“Extending the OPC UA Framework with an information model for instrumentation devices is important to ensure – in combination with OPC UA Safety, Deterministic Communication, Motion and Ethernet-APL/SPE – cross-vendor interoperability and common semantics, not only for the Controller-to-Controller and Controller-to-Device use cases in Factory and Process Automation, but also supporting OPC UA as a fully scalable technology from the sensor across all levels to MES / ERP and also to the cloud,” stated Peter Lutz, Director FLC Initiative at OPC Foundation

@OPCFoundation @FieldCommGroup #PAuto #Communications

Paint covered!

Five-year framework agreement to implement automation software and technology will help paint manufacturer increase throughput and quality and reduce operating costs.

A framework agreement with paint manufacturer Jotun to automate and digitalize its global manufacturing facilities has been announced by Emerson. The five-year agreement will enable Jotun to implement Emerson’s digital technologies to enhance all aspects of manufacturing automation in new factories, and for selected upgrades in some of its 39 existing factories around the world.

Jotun is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of decorative paints and marine, protective and powder coatings. Through its agreement with Emerson, Jotun will increase process automation and create a standardized digital technology solution for new factory projects, which will help the company achieve increased throughput, uptime and product quality, while reducing operating costs.

“In securing a long-term automation partner with the expertise required to support our journey, we will have access to systems, competence and support serving our needs when constructing and operating technically advanced and efficient paint factories around the world,” said Fredrik Urdahl, Jotun’s group technical director - operations. “Emerson’s advanced automation technologies and focus on providing standardized project methodologies, as well as global and local support, were critical factors in our selection for collaboration.”

Jotun will initially focus on standardizing on Emerson’s modular, scalable and easy-to-use DeltaV™ distributed control system in new factory projects. The intelligent control will ensure consistent, integrated batch processes, minimizing risk to product quality and enhancing productivity.

The agreement also enables Emerson to deliver a wide range of automation solutions to improve Jotun’s manufacturing operations. These could include advanced sensor technologies, data management and analytics platforms, software applications, predictive maintenance and remote monitoring techniques and asset management tools.

“We have a long track record of helping companies introduce technologies and processes that lead to game-changing enhancements, and Emerson is committed to helping Jotun realize significant ongoing production efficiency improvements,” said Mark Bulanda, executive president of Emerson’s Automation Solutions business. “We will help support Jotun’s transformation efforts not only through our industry-leading portfolio of digital technologies and solutions, but also from our Project Certainty methodologies.”

@EMR_Automation @EmersonExchange @Emerson_News @HHC_Lewis #Jotun #PAuto #DCS

The future of automation.

Process automation systems will evolve while remaining fundamental to enabling some of the most complex infrastructures in the world

A new white paper entitled “The DCS of tomorrow: ABB’s process automation system vision,” has been released by ABB. This outlines how process automation systems will evolve to support industries as they undergo digital transformation and shift to sustainable energy sources.

For more than a century, automation systems have been central to empowering industries that provide the basic building blocks of our everyday lives – energy, power, water, metals, minerals, chemicals, and transportation – to scale to the needs of a growing population. And for nearly 50 years, the DCS – a digital platform for automating and operating large plants – has been instrumental in enabling safe, efficient and reliable 24/7 operations for these process and energy industries.

ABB has been a global market leader in DCS for 22 consecutive years, maintaining a leading share of around 20 percent in a market worth more than $14 billion (€13.1)*

At the core of controlling and supervising complex processes, the DCS will continue to provide the essentials needed for safe and reliable operations, while evolving its functionality to serve the needs of accelerating digital transformation and energy transition. It will combine an ability to scale and serve new market conditions by adapting to new technologies, including the provision of standard interfaces for third-party connectivity.

ABB foresees a modular automation architecture that will evolve to address customer needs, becoming more open, interoperable and flexible, while maintaining the same high level of reliability, availability, safety and security to which users have grown accustomed.

• The DCS of the future will be embedded in a digitally-enabled environment that facilitates enterprise-wide secure connectivity and collaboration among people, systems and equipment.
• New business models will be feasible through readily downloadable application subscription services.
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence will speed issue resolution and promote remote, autonomous operations that keep people out of harm’s way and mitigate against human-induced error.
• The generation joining the workforce will leverage the familiar benefits of digitalization without having to sacrifice the reliability, availability and security that current systems provide.

“With the DCS of tomorrow, we will accelerate innovation while maintaining the reliability and continuity for which we are known,” said Peter Terwiesch, President, ABB Process Automation. “This white paper is a blueprint for automation systems that will future-proof industries for decades to come. Many of the industries we serve are energy and material intensive, and strive toward more sustainable production. As they increasingly integrate renewables into their energy mix, we will provide the automation with which to do it.”

ABB’s world-leading distributed control systems combine process control, electrical control, power management and safety management. They are a collaboration enabler, allowing improvement of engineering efficiency, operator performance and asset utilization.

“ABB automates, electrifies and digitalizes some of the largest and most critical operations in the world to meet the needs of our growing society, helping our customers make a world of difference,” said Terwiesch. “These sophisticated, interconnected systems work in the background, and yet are essential for nearly everything we use in our daily lives. Our future automation offerings will continue to be at the heart of this.”

---

* ARC Advisory

@ABBgroupnews @abb_automation #PAuto

DCS system upgrades cement plant.

ABB Ability™ System 800xA®, the distributed control system (DCS) automation platform, has been installed to upgrade three grinding units at Star Super Cement in Dubai, UAE, and ensure optimized operations with the Star Cement clinkerization plant in Ras Al Khaimah.

Star Cement and Star Super Cement are subsidiaries of Ultratech Cement, India and operate a 3 million tons per annum (tpa) clinkerization unit at Ras Al Khaimah, four cement grinding units of 2.2 million tpa unit at Jabel Ali, 1.4 million tpa unit at Abu Dhabi and 1.1 million tpa unit at Ajman in UAE as well as a 1 million tpa grinding unit in Bahrain.

ABB was the electrical and automation partner for the Star Cement clinkerization plant ten years ago and had deployed ABB’s DCS for three cement grinding units when these plants were installed. Each grinding unit had a different generation of DCS depending on the plant commissioning period. All grinding units have now been upgraded to ABB Ability System 800xA which can implement advanced process control methods and is ranked by the ARC advisory group as the world’s #1 DCS platform over the last 22 years.

“Star Cement will benefit from improved operator visibility, easier maintenance and minimum downtime with the new upgraded systems and uniformity across the various clinkerization and grinding unit locations,” said Max Tschurtschenthaler, Global Cement Lead, ABB Process Industries. “We are pleased to have built on our longstanding relationship. The successful upgrade of three different systems to the latest platform will ensure overall interoperability and ease of operations.”

“It has always been a fruitful experience working with ABB PI team,” said TVS Chidambaram, Chief Operating Officer of Star Cement. “The DCS upgrade project handled by ABB ran very smoothly and barely disturbed the organization’s ongoing activities. Well planned engineering and installation works during a holiday period helped us to continue our sales without any disturbance. We’re now in a much better position for future operations.”

The scope of work undertaken by ABB included the upgrade of all previously installed central processing units (CPUs) and controllers to the latest version of ABB Ability System 800xA. The project also involved the complete erection and installation for the new panels while keeping the field wiring intact. Minerals libraries were introduced to the system. Project panels were manufactured and delivered locally.

@ABBgroupnews @abb_automation #PAuto #Cement #UAE

Leading in DCS.

Global market leadership of ABB in Distributed Control Systems confirmed for 22nd consecutive year

Since its introduction more than four decades ago, the distributed control system (DCS) – a digital platform for automated control and operation of plants and processes – has been at the core of process and energy industries. As the digital transformation of industry accelerates, the DCS continues to be key to ensuring safe, efficient and reliable operations, enabling the collection and analytics of valuable data for realtime insights.

Ability™ System 800xA

“ABB leads the field in DCS thanks to its domain knowledge in multiple industries, extensive service network, a continued investment in developing technology, loyal customers and digital solutions that meet rapidly changing customer requirements,” said Bernhard Eschermann, Chief Technology Officer, ABB Process Automation. “Much of our development is focused on advancing technology such as modular automation, select I/O and secure Edge integrated solutions which address new process and business challenges while protecting investments. We believe these type of solutions to be some of the catalysts needed for the successful implementation of industrial IoT and agile navigation within Industry 4.0.”

Recognized as one of the industry’s most authoritative sources, the DCS market analysis and forecast report by ARC Advisory Group has been published annually for the past 40 years, with ABB consistently in the lead for more than half that time. The report lists the top DCS players, providing an overview of key trends, the progress of the DCS over the past year within regional and industry contexts, potential market impacts and the expected DCS trajectory over a five year period.

“Our industry-leading technology integrates the automation of the power and process side of operations – two traditionally separate domains,” said Peter Terwiesch, President, ABB Process Automation. “The industries that we serve require reliable power, while working on improving the sustainability of their operations. Integration of power and process automation enables a higher share of inherently more volatile renewable sources in their energy mix – without compromising reliability.”

The recent launch of the latest version of ABB Ability™ System 800xA represents an evolution for automated control and plant operations of tomorrow. It is a process control system, an electrical control system and a safety system and a collaboration enabler, allowing further improvement of engineering efficiency, operator performance and asset utilization. In addition, ABB Ability™ Symphony Plus, is an industry leading DCS in the power, water and waste water markets and ABB’s Freelance offering is a DCS tailor-made for hybrid markets.

ARC’s report also highlights ABB Ability™, ABB’s unified, cross-industry portfolio of digital solutions, which includes more than 170 Industrial Internet solutions and an Industrial Internet technology platform and cloud infrastructure. Drawing on insights across over 20 industries and more than 40 years of experience in digital technology, ABB Ability™ helps customers to develop new processes and advance existing ones by providing insights and optimizing planning and controls for real-time operations. These insights can then be fed into control systems like ABB Ability™ System 800xA and ABB Ability™ Symphony Plus to improve key performance metrics of plants and assets. With an installed base of 35,000 DCS systems across more than 100 countries ABB is a trusted leader in creating digital solutions for customers in the industrial space.

@abb_automation @ABBgroupnews @arc_advisory #PAuto

Digitilising mining.

One of the key players in mining in Latin America has selected ABB to provide state-of-the-art industrial automation systems for existing and new operations

An ambitious digital transformation program in Latin America by Nexa Resources partnered with ABB. The first step will be the modernization of existing mining and smelting process installations in Brazil and Peru, which will form the foundation of digitalised and cost-effective operations.

Aligned with Nexa’s Directive Automation and Information Master Plan, ABB will install ABB Ability ™ System 800xA as part of a five-year agreement. It is the most powerful Distributed Control System (DCS) automation platform in the market and is ranked by ARC advisory group as the world’s #1 over the last 20 years. This technology is the basis for the digital transformation and will serve as a common operations platform to support all technology upgrades as the plants evolve into digital mines of the future.

“One of the main immediate gains will be employee safety as the modern automation platform allows remote monitoring and control. The platform also increases productivity by applying modern control techniques and creating value for the company and local community,” said Marcos Hillal, Global Product Line Manager Automation & Digital for Mining, Aluminium and Cement at ABB.

“As part of the journey, we are providing Nexa with a thorough training and communications plan to support them through the transition.”

In addition to automating existing sites, ABB will be responsible for the delivery of automation platforms at the Aripuanã site, the new Nexa expansion investment in Brazil.

The Aripuanã project is a polymetallic extraction of zinc, lead and copper, located near the city of Aripuanã in the State of Mato Grosso in Brazil. The plant is a greenfield site in which Nexa is investing in operations infrastructure, engaging ABB from the start. There, ABB will deliver automation solutions that result in high levels of productivity, safety and cost savings.

The scope includes a comprehensive automation platform, based on ABB Ability™ System 800xA, and equipped with ABB Ability™ MineOptimize solutions such as the Minerals Process Control Library, Power Control Library and camera connection. Together, these will make Aripuanã one of the most modern operations in Brazil.

@ABBgroupnews @ABBMeasurement #PAuto #NEXAResources #Brazil