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March 31, 2008
Press Release: Emerson unveils new PAT tools to speed drug development and improve production
Cell growth model and process analytics accelerate product creation, rapid manufacturing scale-up and early real-time release of biological products
Austin, Texas (March 27, 2008) -- Emerson Process Management has expanded its software library with new PAT tools designed to speed development and improve production of life-saving drugs. Emerson's new high fidelity cell growth models and its multivariate process analytics accelerate product development, speed scale-up to full production, and enable real-time release of manufactured biological products.
Emerson's most recent work is the development models for mammalian cell processes that are currently in Beta testing. Cell growth models for bacterial, fungal, and yeast fermentations are available now. Previous studies indicate that the models can be used to prototype model predictive control of growth and product formulation rates which can in some cases reduce batch times by 40% and improve yields by 10%.
Biopharmaceutical product development is difficult and risky. Currently more than 200 biotechnology medicines are in development for more than 100 diseases. Due to process complexity, the products generally result only after lengthy iteration between process development and commercialization. Traditional development requires hundreds of trial batches, and then extensive data collection for final selection of processing conditions. Emerson's new PAT tools shorten the time and cost of development, and use real-time data to improve quality and yield of released final product.
The new tools use off-line dynamic computer simulations of bioprocesses that can be run at up to 1000X real time to determine optimum settings for real-time production. Also, for on-line operation, embedded analytics tools may be used to detect faults and predict end of batch values of quality parameters continuously in real time, helping to optimize batch process control and enable the efficiency of real-time release.
Emerson's new PAT tools for bioreactor modeling are in a library of software modules that run in its DeltaV™ digital automation system. The model, configuration, and tools are used to create a "virtual plant" that can simulate batch execution faster than by physical experimentation. PAT tools are also being developed as embedded software in the DeltaV system to support on-line analytics. The DeltaV system is commonly used in product development and is the process management system embedded in the Broadley-James bioreactor family.
The bioreactor models are available as a complete DeltaV solution designed specifically for the customer's product development application. Engineering and configuration services and training are included, supporting user needs for efficient operation and maintenance of the production simulation software.
Hi-Res Photo is available.
About Emerson Process Management
Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com), an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, power, water and wastewater treatment, mining and metals, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and other industries. The company combines superior products and technology with industry-specific engineering, consulting, project management and maintenance services. Its brands include PlantWeb®, DeltaV™, Fisher®, Micro Motion®, Rosemount®, Mobrey®, Bristol®, Daniel®, Ovation®, and AMS® Suite.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2007 were $22.6 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 31, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 28, 2008
Press Release: Emerson's PlantWeb® architecture to digitally automate new plant for first monoclonal antibody drugs in China
Integration by DeltaV™ system and FOUNDATION™ fieldbus to speed production of drugs for unmet medical needs
SINGAPORE (March 27, 2008) – Emerson Process Management has been chosen to design and install its advanced PlantWeb® digital plant architecture to digitally automate Shanghai CP Guojian Pharmaceutical Company's new API production suite which will have the largest mammalian cell-culture system in Asia. Located in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Shanghai, the new plant is expected to begin producing the first monoclonal antibody drugs in China by August, 2008.
Emerson was selected by M+W Zander of Shanghai, the engineering procurement contractor, to design the plant's automation approach to take advantage of PlantWeb architecture with FOUNDATION™ fieldbus instrumentation for networking intelligent process instrumentation. The PlantWeb approach will use its DeltaV™ digital automation system to also integrate variable frequency drives using DeviceNet, and all On/Off valves using Asi bus. Integration with the DeltaV systems speeds installation and commissioning for fast start-up which is key for biopharmaceutical plants, and also includes DeltaV Batch software for process optimization and streamlined compliance.
To further speed startup, Emerson is supplying its AMS® Suite software that communicates with smart field devices for efficient commissioning. Later, AMS Suite will enable predictive maintenance by monitoring diagnostics running in field instrumentation and alerting plant personnel to issues that need maintenance attention before they affect or shut down operations. The instrumentation includes Emerson's Rosemount® temperature transmitters, pressure transmitters, and flow meters as well as Fisher® control valves with FIELDVUE® digital valve controllers are also being deployed in key locations throughout the process.
Emerson's solution will reduce the complexity of field wiring and support asset management of the smart field devices. The fieldbus technology will be applied to all process control valves and many of the plant's 2000 analog input/output control signals. Emerson engineers will also configure and integrate all field devices with the control system and provide necessary on-site services to validate the system before start-up.
"Emerson has demonstrated high capability in pharmaceutical applications, and their engineers are very experienced in adapting the fieldbus technology to batch production systems," said Mr. David Liu, project manager for M+W Zander. "Our customer has great confidence in their ability to deliver an advanced solution for this unique process."
The Emerson solution is intended to meet the end-user's goal of applying the most advanced technology to all phases of pharmaceutical production while keeping costs low, meeting the construction schedule, and achieving a smooth start-up. Company officials expect to meet international standards with the products of this facility.
Hi-Res Photo is available.
About Shanghai CP Guojian Pharmaceutical
Shanghai CP Guojian Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., develops and produces biopharmaceutical products for marketing in China and world wide. The company concentrates on developing therapeutic humanized/human antibodies, vaccines, and diagnostic products for unmet medical needs relating to cancer and autoimmune diseases. For more information, see www.cpgj-pharm.com/en/index.asp.
About Emerson Process Management
Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com), an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp & paper, power, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, metals and mining, water and wastewater treatment, and other industries. The company combines superior products and technology with industry-specific engineering, consulting, and project management, and maintenance services to help customers achieve the potential of their operations. Emerson brands include PlantWeb®, Fisher®, Rosemount®, Micro Motion®, Daniel®, Bristol®, DeltaV™, Ovation®, and AMS® Suite.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE:EMR), based in St. Louis, is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2007 were $22.6 billion. For more information, visit www.GoToEmerson.com.
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 28, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 27, 2008
Classic and HART I/O Redundancy Product Data Sheet Update
DeltaV Classic and HART I/O has a high level of reliability, providing the process availability required for most applications. (187KB PDF)
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 27, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 25, 2008
Endress+Hauser GmbH TMT85 Rev 1 Fieldbus Device Files
In Emerson's continuing commitment to open and interoperable standards, the Endress+Hauser GmbH TMT85 Rev 1 has passed the rigorous and comprehensive testing of the DeltaV Stress Test labs. Using the DeltaV system's Foundation Fieldbus Device Downloads utility, these fieldbus device files are now available for use.
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 25, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 24, 2008
Press Release: Emerson enters agreement with Finesse to provide integration services to Finesse customers
Integration of DeltaV™ digital automation system and TruBIO™ bioreactor system aids improved drug development and production
Austin, Texas (March 24, 2008) – Emerson Process Management has entered an agreement with Finesse Solutions, LLC, Irvine, California, a manufacturer of measurement and control solutions for life sciences process applications. Within the scope of this agreement Emerson will provide Finesse's customers with integration and process automation services between Emerson's DeltaV™ digital automation system and Finesse's TruBio™ Bioreactor Control System on projects developed by Finesse's direct sales force for bioprocess drug development and production.
The TruBio system, which is powered by the DeltaV controller, is an "open" configurable software solution developed specifically for the life sciences industry. The embedded configurable control logic for pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, agitation, and a host of other parameters provides flexible control for both cell culture and fermentation applications.
TruBio is designed to enable OEMs, system integrators, engineering firms and end users alike to quickly customize the control system to meet their individual application requirements. TruBio's open configurable design has the power to compress project schedules and reduce engineering costs while still facilitating customization. Emerson's role will be to integrate and scale up the embedded DeltaV controller in Finesse's products into a larger DeltaV system, or expand it to a plant-wide system.
"The agreement between Finesse and Emerson will allow Finesse's direct sales force to expand the application of the TruBio system from research and development into manufacturing," said Barb Paldus, CEO of Finesse Solutions. "Life sciences customers will be able to achieve end-to-end process data sharing and faster scale-up through this combined solution."
"I see this as a positive step forward between our two companies to offer our mutual customers integrated solutions based on Emerson's PlantWeb technologies," said Terry Moore, vice president, Life Sciences Industry Center of Emerson Process Management.
PlantWeb is an innovative digital architecture that has been proven in thousands of installations globally, including Life Science applications where benefits include fast startup and operational excellence. PlantWeb is powered by the DeltaV system that digitally networks with Rosemount pressure, flow, level and temperature instruments; Fisher® control valves with FIELDVUE® digital valve controllers; Micro Motion® Coriolis meters and Rosemount analyzers.
About Finesse Solutions
California-based Finesse Solutions, LLC, leads the way in developing new measurement and control technologies, in order to enable the transition to single-use systems, bring new capabilities to existing bioreactor platforms, and harmonize global bio-process information transfer. Our current product family provides comprehensive measurement and control solutions for upstream processes in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. For more information, please visit us at www.finesse.com.
About Emerson Process Management
Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com), an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the power, water and wastewater treatment, chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, food and beverage, life sciences, and other industries. Emerson brands include PlantWeb®, Ovation®, SmartProcess®, Fisher®, Micro Motion®, Rosemount®, Mobrey®, Daniel®, Bristol®, DeltaV™, and AMS® Suite.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE:EMR), based in St. Louis, is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2007 were $22.6 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 24, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
North and South Carolina R.E. Mason Users Group
If you are an end-user of Emerson Process Management products in North or South Carolina, don't miss this year's 17th Annual User Group of the Carolinas Conference and get a chance to:
- Share experiences and build lasting relationships
- Gain practical knowledge that will improved results, and
- Meet the Emerson experts and your R.E. Mason support teams.
Dates: Wednesday, May 14th to Friday, May 16th
Charlotte North Carolina, USA
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 24, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 19, 2008
It's back-to-school Time for Fieldbus Training
“I’m looking forward to getting my first Foundation fieldbus installation up and running. I know that this is new technology, but I’ve been an automation engineer for over 15 years. How hard can it be?”
If you don’t know the answer to this question, the answer may be “Harder than it seems without adequate training.” It is estimated that over 80% of the problems with FF installations are due to lack of sufficient FF training for engineers and technicians. An article in the February issue of Control magazine, “It’s back-to-school time for Fieldbus training (745KB PDF),” discusses the need for and availability of specialized training for folks who plan to implement their first FF installation. The piece shows how to avoid those 80% of the installation headaches and where training is available.
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 19, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 18, 2008
Safety Integrity Level Selection: Systematic Methods Including Layer of Protection Analysis in the DeltaV Bookstore
Safety Integrity Level Selection: Systematic Methods Including Layer of Protection Analysis by Edward M. Marszal and Eric William Scharpf is now available in the DeltaV Bookstore.
It is a practical guide to Safety Integrity Level selection (SIL) which distills essential theory into a format that the average control systems engineer can quickly apply. This is not a generic theoretical dissertation, nor a comprehensive treatment of the topic of quantitative risk analysis. It is a focused process for applying simple, yet powerful, tools of quantitative risk analysis specifically to the problem of selecting safety integrity levels for safety instrumented systems.
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 18, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 14, 2008
DeltaV Four-Monitor Workstation Product Data Sheet Update
The Four-Monitor Workstation provides a flexible, easy-to-configure operator space using 4 flat-screen monitors. It provides operators additional screen "real estate" for viewing more information about process operations from a single workstation. (240KB PDF)
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 14, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 13, 2008
Providing Automation Services Globally
“Where am I going to get automation services for my facility? We’re located thousands of miles from any automation company’s headquarters. Sometimes I get the feeling that I’m all alone out here.”
If you feel this way, take heart. Businesses are working to supply your service needs. According to Automation Research Corporation Advisory Group’s research director Larry O’Brien, this service supply is one of the fastest growing parts of automation supplier’s portfolio. Automation World magazine examined this topic I their recent article, “Providing automation services globally (1.39MB PDF).”
Emerson’s director of worldwide services, Bill Robertson, was quoted in the piece, “Providing services 10,000 miles away is now part of how any large company needs to operate today. That requires global consistency.” You may want to read this short article just to find out how Emerson’s customer Praxair used globally available Guardian Services to head off problems at their processing facilities.
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 13, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 12, 2008
Internships Available
Three new internship positions are available for working on the DeltaV software development team in Austin Texas.
Check out the details for each internship as well as all of our job postings on the web at
http://www.emersonprocess.com/systems/careers/aus_jobs.html.
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 12, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 6, 2008
Press Release: Emerson digitally automates expansion of Guixi copper smelter in China
Emerson integrates smelter using PlantWeb® architecture with FOUNDATION fieldbus and AMS® Suite predictive maintenance software
AUSTIN, TEXAS (March 6, 2008) – Emerson Process Management has engineered, installed, and commissioned PlantWeb® digital architecture for advanced automation of Jianxi Copper Company's expansion of its Guixi Smelter in Jiangxi Province, China. The smelter's annual production capacity will be increased by 300,000 tons of copper and 800,000 tons of sulfate, making Jiangxi the largest copper producer in China. The smelter started up on time in August, 2007.
Emerson's PlantWeb architecture networks the Guixi Smelter using FOUNDATION fieldbus communications technology. The network of digital intelligence includes Emerson's DeltaV™ digital automation system and AMS Suite: Intelligent Device Manager. The AMS® Device Manager monitors smart fieldbus instruments continuously, issuing warnings of potential operating problems, and provides personnel with the diagnostic information needed to implement a cost-saving predictive maintenance program.
"Emerson's leadership in FOUNDATION fieldbus and the AMS Device Manager predictive maintenance software was a principal factor in their being selected as automation supplier for our Guixi Smelter expansion," according to Mr. Youheng He, Engineering Director of Engineering & Construction Department of Jiangxi Copper. "Our successful project and startup has shown that we made an excellent choice, as Emerson has added to its excellent track record of bringing value to companies in the mining and metals industry."
Automation engineering took place at Emerson's Pudong Engineering Center near Shanghai. Emerson technicians worked with smelter personnel to integrate the DeltaV system with Rosemount® instruments, Fisher® valves and FIELDVUE® digital valve controllers, and the AMS Device Manager. Emerson was also responsible for final acceptance testing of all products and systems, control system configuration, training, and other on-site services.
The Guixi Smelter Plant of JCL, constructed originally in 1985, is the first copper refinery in China to adopt the international advanced oxygen enrichment and double convection and double absorption technology. Major components for this technology were imported from Japan and Finland and put into operation in 2003. Planning for the current expansion began in 2007 to keep the smelter at the forefront of copper production in Asia.
"Expanding the Guixi Smelter is a very important project for Jiangxi Copper Company, given the growing worldwide demand for this metal and its by-products," commented Mike Train, president of Emerson Process Management Asia Pacific. "Equally important is having dependable operations to maintain production in the smelter without unexpected stoppages. Our PlantWeb architecture is known throughout the world for bringing value to process companies by increasing their product quality, throughput and reliability while reducing costs for downtime, maintenance and energy."
About Jiangxi Copper Company
Jiangxi Copper Company is a major non-ferrous metals enterprise featuring integrated copper mining, milling, smelting, and processing operations. The company also produces sulfur, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and various other rare metals. One of the 512 state-supported "key enterprises" in China, Jiangxi Copper Company exports to the United States, Japan, and other countries in Europe and Southeast Asia. The capacity of Jiangxi Copper in 2007 was over 50 billion Chinese Yuan.
About Emerson Process Management
Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com), an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, power, water and wastewater treatment, mining and metals, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and other industries. The company combines superior products and technology with industry-specific engineering, consulting, project management and maintenance services. Its brands include PlantWeb®, DeltaV™, Fisher®, Micro Motion®, Rosemount®, Mobrey®, Bristol®, Daniel®, Ovation®, and AMS® Suite.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2007 were $22.6 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 6, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 5, 2008
Press Release: Emerson's PlantWeb® digital architecture is the "automation of choice" at chemical industry's flagship training facility
DeltaV™ system and AMS® Suite predictive maintenance software provide an authentic working environment for chemical industry trainees
AUSTIN, TEXAS (March 4, 2008) – Emerson Process Management announces that the company's PlantWeb® digital plant architecture has been installed at the CATCH (Centre for the Assessment of Technical Competence) training center for the chemical industry in Stallingborough, near Grimsby, North Lincolnshire. The £8.2 million facility has been developed to meet the industry need for a training center that accurately reflects the environment existing in plants but without the hazards found in many process industries.
Emerson supplied products, software and services and was involved with the engineering, design and installation of the plant architecture. This includes the DeltaV™ digital automation system and AMS® Suite Intelligent Device Manager, together with Fisher® control valves and FIELDVUE® digital valve controllers, Rosemount® level, flow, pressure, and temperature transmitters and Micro Motion® Coriolis mass flowmeters.
Originally designed as a conventional plant utilizing HART communications technology, the challenging timescale and the projected savings in cabling costs led to the adoption of FOUNDATION fieldbus technology. As the project evolved, extra instruments were added and these changes, together with any future expansion plans, could be readily accommodated using the existing cabling. Had the plant retained the original architecture it would have been necessary to excavate a roadway to lay additional cabling, extending the original project timescale. With customer training sessions already arranged, any delay would have created serious problems for CATCH. By adopting FOUNDATION fieldbus communications the plant was ready for its first scheduled training sessions.
"CATCH provides professional facilities although it is not itself a training organization," said Clive Rounce, General Manager at CATCH. "Our brief is to provide and maintain a realistic and safe training facility for our partner companies. When the project was at the design stage, we approached our partners for input on the type of automation system to be used. They wanted a system that would provide the best training platform based on what they actually have installed on site, and their first choice was Emerson's DeltaV system as the state of the art front end system and as a key component in an overall PlantWeb architecture."
In order to create an authentic working environment, the process on site is based on a real digital automation architecture. FOUNDATION fieldbus digital communication technologies feed data over a network to the centralized control room where students are able to control, configure and troubleshoot in a real plant environment.
Most of the hardware for the plant was contributed to CATCH by its partner companies and comprises a tank farm and system of pipework, pumps, valves, heat exchangers and reactor vessels that is typical of the chemical industry. The plant is run as a live system with safety rules and full evacuation procedures in place. It can be operated as a continuous process, or by using the reactor vessel, configured for batch production. Students are able to experience a range of situations and incidents that test their knowledge and skills in a real environment.
As new technologies are introduced to the industry, the equipment on site will be upgraded to ensure the latest innovations can be experienced. For example, the automation system incorporates Emerson's DeltaV SIS (Safety Instrumented System) which extends the benefits of the PlantWeb digital plant architecture to safety applications. Other innovations include the addition of Emerson's DeltaV Simulate software that allows engineers to develop new control strategies, and fully test them on their laptop computer using actual control configurations and process simulation software. CATCH is also planning to include Emerson's Smart Wireless solutions that enable data to be collected from remote locations without the need for wires.
"We are delighted to be involved with the CATCH project which sets a new standard for training facilities in our industry," said Travis Hesketh, Director of PlantWeb for Europe, Emerson Process Management. "By basing its training facility on our PlantWeb digital architecture and DeltaV system, CATCH offers its partners a state of the art facility that uses the architecture of choice for the process industry."
The project is already proving to be a great success with over 6,000 students having passed through the facility in the first year of operation. From January 2008 more than 120 apprentices will be based at Stallingborough, learning skills and gaining experience that will be vital to the future success of the industry.
Hi-Res Photos are available.
About CATCH
CATCH is owned by North East Lincolnshire Council and operated through a dedicated management team by the Humber Client/Contractor Training Association, an alliance of 40 chemical companies and contractors. Catch was funded through Yorkshire Forward, the European Regional Development Fund and the Learning and Skills Council.
The £8.2 Million investment comprises an administration building and plant complex and the foundation stone went down in July 2005. The first students started their courses in September 2006 and by September 2007 a major extension had been completed.
About Emerson Process Management
Emerson Process Management (www.EmersonProcess.com), an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, power, water and wastewater treatment, metals and mining, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and other industries. The company combines superior products and technology with industry-specific engineering, consulting, project management and maintenance services. Its brands include PlantWeb®, Fisher®, Micro Motion®, Rosemount®, Mobrey®, Daniel®, Bristol®, DeltaV™, Ovation®, and AMS® Suite.
About Emerson
Emerson, based in St. Louis, is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2007 were $22.6 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 5, 2008 | TrackBack (0)
March 3, 2008
Strengthen Company, Minimize Risk
“I’m sure this project can be justified, but I’m just not sure what all I should include in the project capital request. Should I focus only on increased production or should include “soft savings” like avoided costs? I’ve got to get this right or I’ll be stuck without this improvement for another year.”
There are only a few places to look for meaningful “economic buckets” claims Emerson’s Pete Sharpe, principal consultant with Emerson’s Advanced Applied Technology Group in a recent editorial published in Automation World magazine, “Strengthen Company, Minimize Risk (546KB PDF).” He discusses how to present the key economic advantages and provides insight into the “ultimate metric.” If you are facing the need to justify capital for a site modernization project, this piece may help you improve your odds of success.
Posted by Emerson's EasyDeltaV.com on March 3, 2008 | TrackBack (0)