We've created the "Process Control with Emerson's DeltaV system" group to serve as a learning community environment for the DeltaV system. This is a hub to connect students, interns, process control professionals, Emerson folks, Emerson local business partners and everyone else with a common interest in the DeltaV system.

If you've been waiting for a good reason to be on Facebook, here it is!! You can ask and answer questions, talk about what you've implemented, give any feedback, share ideas, and network with industry professionals.

"I don't like your DeltaV system because it has too many alarms in it."

A plant manager at a chemicals facility told me that once. I was standing next to his automation head at the time - the guy who had designed the alarm system. Well, I didn't mention that our system has no alarms by default and that his engineer put all of those in there, but I did suggest that the problem could be corrected easily. The automation manager agreed.

Adding too many alarms can actually lead to unsafe operations. This problem is pointed out in the Control magazine article, "Why is safety so hard? (1.06MB PDF)" The article contends that poor engineering implementation at processing facilities is a problem but is fixable. Interestingly the article points out that simple industry adherence to standards may not be enough, since the standards development tends to lag changing technology and alarm management standards are currently inadequate. A quick scan of this piece may help avoid a plant mishap - probably a good investment of your time.

For improved operator consoles and a platform for today's digital technologies, DeltaV consoles easily connect to your Bailey systems (353KB PDF).

Center's front end engineering and project management services will reduce time and cost to first oil

AUSTIN, TEXAS (August 25, 2008) -- Emerson Process Management announces the opening of a new engineering center in Oslo, Norway, responsible for providing front end engineering services and project management expertise to the Marine and Offshore industry. The center will build on experiences gained from hundreds of offshore installations to provide innovative installations that reduce the time and cost to first oil and improve the performance on board.

"This engineering center will provide the Marine & Offshore Industry with easy access to the relevant services and expertise at the start of their most challenging projects," said Wim van Loon, manager of the new office. "Emerson is committed to serving this industry as a reliable partner. We are able to engineer from this office the best solutions and designs and to provide world class project management supported by a global project organization."

Marine and offshore projects will be designed and coordinated along developed M&O standards and procedures by the Oslo office, so as to benefit from the experience learned from similar projects. In particular these designs will include the implementation of innovative solutions such as integrated operations, embedded asset management and the use of PlantWeb® digital plant architecture including the new and innovative Smart Wireless technology. The Emerson M&O standards will also be coordinated and maintained from the Oslo office.

The opening of this office near the recently opened Wärtsilä office in Oslo is also one of the initiatives both companies have taken to further develop their Global Alliance and strengthen their cooperation in design and execution services.

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®, Fisher®, Rosemount®, Micro Motion®, Daniel®, 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. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.

This paper describes concepts of Bailey-to-DeltaV system transitions (344KB PDF) that can improve system maintainability and process performance, while advancing the plant toward a digital architecture.

In a perfect world it would be easy to bring a reactor batch temperature up to set point and hold it there with simple jacket heating and cooling. Unfortunately things are often not perfect in the real world that we find in process plants. Emerson’s Mark Coughran discusses this in a Chemical Processing magazine article, “Improve batch reactor temperature control (687KB PDF).” He relates his experience with three different real-world examples where reactor temperature control was not performing up to specs and shows how to solve the particular problems these units had. He then outlines a method for success that may help you with a tricky batch reactor heating problem. This article may point the way to faster set-point response with minimal overshoot or oscillation.

As the baby boom generation of process automation professionals retire, Emerson is committed to providing the technologies and expertise to develop the next generation of automation professionals. The DeltaV educational discount program (326KB PDF) provides universities and their faculties access to the automation systems their students will need to lead process manufacturers in the future.

AUSTIN, TEXAS (August 20, 2008) – Emerson Process Management announces wireless float switch solutions which combine its Mobrey® float switches with the company's Rosemount® 702 wireless discrete transmitter. All the models in the popular range of Mobrey float switches are now available for use with the wireless transmitter, allowing plant managers to cost-effectively access valuable data about the performance and safety of their plant.

Owing to the high cost of wiring, most process plants have hundreds or even thousands of discrete measurement points that are not connected to the control system. The advent of wireless communications allows process plant managers to save up to 90% of installation cost compared with wired technologies, enabling them to collect more data at central locations than has ever been possible before.

Mobrey magnetic float switches are unpowered and mechanical. They are used in a wide variety of applications, particularly in chemical, petrochemical processing and offshore installations because their simple, robust design offers long-term reliability in the harshest of conditions. The switches are ideal for use with high / low level alarms, pump control and other switching duties in locations where it was previously inaccessible or simply uneconomic to do so.

The Rosemount 702 discrete transmitter is a key component of Emerson's self-organizing Smart Wireless field network. As with other wireless sensors in the family, the transmitter communicates valuable discrete data to the Smart Wireless gateway for Modbus or Ethernet connection to Emerson's AMS Suite® predictive maintenance software, DeltaV™ and Ovation® control systems or other any control system. The transmitter is easy to install, quick to commission and is fully compatible with existing Smart Wireless networks.

Hi-Res Image 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, 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 Mobrey®, PlantWeb®, Rosemount®, Fisher®, Micro Motion®, Daniel®, 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. For more information, visit www.emerson.com.

In Emerson's continuing commitment to open and interoperable standards, the Endress+Hauser GmbH Deltabar S Rev 6 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.

For enhanced operator workstations and a platform for today's digital technologies, DeltaV workstations easily connect to your APACS or QUADLOG system (395KB PDF).

“Sure we can use mammalian cells to manufacture drugs, but just how can I keep these little guys fed and happy? I expect there is some way to know what our optimal operating conditions are, but there just isn’t a clear roadmap to figure this out.”

As I write this, I realize that, one day, I may personally need some mammalian cell bio-manufactured drug or another and it is in my own best interest to spread the word on how to make this stuff. Fortunately, Emerson’s Mike Boudreau and Greg McMillan suggest three techniques to help out in the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing article, “Bioprocess Control What the Next 15 years will Bring, Part2 – Process Modeling (1.27MB PDF).” They show how three control applications, first order plus dead time (FOPTD) modeling, high fidelity models, and data analytics with multivariate statistical models can be applied to mammalian cell culture to keep the small guys happy. Please read this article, I may need what you’re making soon.

In case you missed it, Part1 is also available online.

Join our winning DeltaV Team as a Software Test Engineer Intern!

Job Title: Software Test Engineer Internship / Co-Op (Austin, TX)

Minimum Education Qualifications: Current Engineering or Comp Science or Industrial System Technology (Manufacturing option) major with a minimum of 2 years completed college coursework.

Check out the details and how to apply at http://www.emersonprocess.com/systems/careers/a08-0140.html. Emerson Process Management is an equal opportunity employer.

Proven batch automation experience with DeltaV™ digital system leads to selection of Emerson's PlantWeb® architecture with FOUNDATION fieldbus technology

AUSTIN, TEXAS (August 13, 2008) – Emerson Process Management has been selected by Nalco Industrial Services (Nanjing) Co., Ltd., as the Main Instrument Vendor for a new water treatment chemicals plant in the Nanjing Chemical & Industrial Park in China. The plant, scheduled for completion early in 2009, is being constructed by the Nalco Company of the United States, the world's largest producer, supplier, and facilitator of water treatment chemicals. Nalco is investing about $25 million US in the new plant in Nanjing City. It will have a total annual capacity of 37,000 tons.

"The factory in Nanjing will become our largest and most important production base in China," commented Mr. Louis L. Loosbrock, Group Vice President of Nalco. "Products made there will be capable of implementing the most advanced water treatment strategies."

Plant designers chose to implement Emerson's PlantWeb® digital plant architecture with batch processes controlled by the DeltaV™ digital automation system and using FOUNDATION fieldbus technology. Emerson is also providing on-site engineering assistance during the implementation and startup phases.

Instrumentation in the new plant includes Rosemount® temperature and pressure transmitters, Micro Motion® mass flowmeters, and FIELDVUE® digital valve controllers mounted on Fisher® control valves. AMS® Suite: Intelligent Device Manager software will be employed for instrument commissioning, predictive maintenance, and asset optimization.

"Our DeltaV automation system is the right choice for batch processes, and the FOUNDATION fieldbus communications technology contributes significantly to lower construction costs by reducing the cost of instrument installation and loop checkout," said Mike Train, president of Emerson Process Management Asia Pacific. "After several Nalco Nanjing representatives visited our facility in Shanghai and witnessed development of a batch project, we were delighted to be chosen to implement these technologies in their new plant."

About Nalco
The Nalco Company, with headquarters near Chicago, Illinois, USA, is the world leader for integrated water treatment and process improvement, focusing on water treatment and process chemicals. With operations in 130 nations, Nalco serves more than 70,000 customers helping to reduce water and energy consumption by solving and preventing water-related problems, protecting the environment, decreasing costs, increasing productivity, improving profitability. Establishing a presence in China at this time is an important component of the company's global strategy.

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, water and waste treatment, metals and mining, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and other industries. The company combines superior products and technology with industry-specific engineering, consulting, and project management, and maintenance services. Its brands include PlantWeb®, DeltaV™, Fisher®, Micro Motion®, Rosemount®, Rosemount Analytical, 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. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.

“OK, I know that the FDA is encouraging pharmaceutical companies to explore improved manufacturing options through its process analytical technology initiative. I just don’t want to go off on a “wild goose” chase and wind up with nothing. I’d like to see some evidence that this stuff works before I invest a lot of my time.”

While many pharmaceutical engineers know that their automation careers could be enhanced by exploring PAT initiatives, the risks of failure are a powerful brake to getting started. Help may be found from Jim Montague, executive editor of Control magazine, in his article “Is PAT a Silver Bullet?” (4.10MB PDF) This article shows how many companies have either provided new useful tools (DeltaV Insight for instance) to take advantage of PAT or have adopted new techniques that have produced positive results. This stuff really does work.

The Using SNMP on a DeltaV System Product Data Sheet describes how users are allowed to use SNMP applications to monitor devices on the DeltaV network. (182KB PDF)

In Emerson's continuing commitment to open and interoperable standards, the Endress+Hauser GmbH Cerabar S Rev 6 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.

Mark your calendar and plan to meet us September 24 - 25, 2008 at Interphex Canada in Montreal, Canada: The most comprehensive life science event in Canada.

It is backed by ISPE, the Society for Life Science Professionals, and Reed Exhibitions. This event brings together the top decision makers from the leading Canadian, pharmaceutical, generic and biopharmaceutical manufacturers and over 100 technology vendors. In addition, pertinent and timely education sessions are offered. Emerson Process Management is hosting a booth highlighting our life science industry solutions, including Compliance Suite.

Compliance Suite provides paperless manufacturing solutions for cGMP-regulated facilities and enables plant-wide integration from the plant floor to the enterprise - supporting better business decisions. Interphex Canada Conference details are at: http://www.interphex.com/app/homepage.cfm?moduleid=4522&appname=100026&CampaignID=61355829&iUserCampaignID=39455264.

Don’t miss the presentation by Adam Troeller, from Cangene, regarding an Emerson solution. Adam Troeller is a systems engineer with 5-years of experience at Cangene, specifically with DeltaV configuration. He has been instrumental in the implementation of MPC in place of PID control and class-based modules for Cangene's operation.

The DeltaV Video Case Study, Bayer Shanghai: Setting Technology & Performance Standards, documents how Petrochemical products manufacturer Bayer teams with Emerson to digitally automate its greenfield Shanghai plastics plant, establishing automation standards for its plants throughout the world. (10:43 minutes)

Guardian Support is a collection of several essential services designed to maximize the availability, sustainability and performance of your DeltaV process automation system. (442KB PDF)

This paper describes transition solution options for moving from Moore APACS and QUADLOG to DeltaV and PlantWeb. (614KB PDF)