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Honeywell Users Group - Heroes Gather in Phoenix
Honeywell 2008 Users Group - Heroes Gather in Phoenix
By Bill Lydon - Contributing Editor
Control Professional Heroes Gather in Phoenix
HUG 2008 Overview
The 33rd annual Honeywell Users Group Conference was held June 15 - 19, 2008 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, AZ with over 700 customers in attendance.
Power to Perform and Everyday Heroes Theme
The theme was based on super heroes as Frank Whitsura, Honeywell Vice President/General Manager, Americas Honeywell Process Solutions stated, “The conferences theme, Power to Perform, highlights the heroic efforts of process industry professionals to perform well despite rising costs and resource constraints.”
"Heroic efforts of process industry professionals to perform well despite rising costs and resource constraints"
The conference included four days of technical sessions with over 1,500 industry experts and attendees from around the world.
My interpretation of the overall Honeywell message is they are not your old DCS Company! Honeywell is now a broad gauge products and service company working with process customers to improve their business performance.
Honeywell Process Solutions Vision
Jack Bolick, President, Honeywell Process Solutions
Jack Bolick, described Honeywell Process Solutions broad vision as a product and services supplier with an ongoing commitment to earning and maintaining long term customer relationships. Jack showed a chart illustrating seven acquisitions since December, 2004 including UOP, ENRAF and most recently HandHeld Products. He indicated that Honeywell is committed to making acquisitions that add value for customers. Jack pointed out that Honeywell’s Lifecycle services helps customers sustain improvements and make processes repeatable over the long term. The Lifecycle services business has grown to about $1 billion. The entire Industrial Automation and Controls business is $13 billion. Honeywell has been performing well beating Wall Street analyst earnings predictions10 of the last 11 financial quarters. Jack highlighted three major areas Honeywell works with customers:
- Safety, based on layers of protection to reduce incidents.
- Reliability, to improve the uptime of customer processes.
- Efficiency, to improve performance.
Looking back Jack commented, “A lot of us always thought of Honeywell Process Solutions as the distributed control company, we pioneered DCS, and we’re proud of that.” “However, today where we’re at with Process Knowledge Systems, the DCS is just one tool in the bag. There are many tools.” The core message is that Honeywell is a product and service company collaborating with customers to improve their business by leveraging Honeywell products, services, and years of knowledge.
Core Message, Honeywell is a product and service company...
Describing Honeywell’s I-MAC, Integrated - Master Automation Contractor program, Jack commented, "...we have a little bit of a unique twist to it.” Honeywell has built a large database of actual process performance based on Honeywell and UOP experience with customers. Customers use the data to benchmark their performance against others to improve processes. The database has no customer identities and is a good example of using knowledge to provide a tool to benchmark engineering and business practices. Honeywell demonstrated a number of new products at the conference but I think this knowledge-driven method to measure performance and determine where customers can improve may have the greatest value.
Jack commented that the I-MAC business is growing rapidly. The I-MAC group is focused on selling process knowledge. Honeywell's primary objective is to understand the manufacturer's goals from an operations and business perspective. With the I-MAC approach, Honeywell is responsible for 100% of the project execution including cost and schedule risk management. Customers can also have an option for a performance guarantee from Honeywell. Honeywell becomes part of the customer’s team starting with the early engineering design of projects. The objective is to achieve a higher return on investment than traditional approaches by having the customer and suppliers goals in alignment.
Wireless
Jack commented that wireless is another major inflection point in the industry similar to the introduction of DCS. “Wireless is an enabler, is not a means to an end, you can pick up data quicker, install it quicker; cheaper than hardwire.” Jack is clearly committed to standards stating, “ We are committed to ISA 100, I believe it is best for the industry”.
“ We are committed to ISA 100; I believe it is best for the industry”.
Jack Bolick, President, Honeywell Process Solutions
Jack closed his keynote by making a commitment to be at the conference all week and inviting customers to tell him things that need to change. “Tell us what we need to turn up the volume on, what we need to do better. Also, what’s not working so well, let’s share the warts and how we can improve”.
“Tell us what we need to turn up the volume on, what we need to do better."
"Also, what’s not working so well, let’s share the warts and how we can improve”.
Do you have an opinion? WWW. LETSTALKPROCESSCONTROL.COM
In keeping with Jack’s comments about listening to customers Honeywell has created on online community panel you can join to express opinions in online surveys. By joining, you are automatically entered into a drawing to win a paid registration to a Honeywell Users Group conference in 2009. You should be interested in influencing the future of the process control industry. As a panel member, you must be willing to participate in at least three online surveys per year. Honeywell guarantees that the Let’s Talk Process Control Panel profile information is not sold or distributed to any company. All information is strictly confidential and privacy is guaranteed.
Honeywell Process Solutions Vision
Jason Urso, Vice President Technology
Jason Urso described Honeywell Process Solutions vision for improving customers’ safety, reliability, and efficiency to achieve operational excellence in terms of products and technology in the context of three fundamental customer goals:
SafetyLayers of protection to reduce safety incidents to improve emergency response, reduce human error, reduce unexpected equipment failures, and maintain stable control.Reliability
A Lifecycle approach to improve maintenance, operational effectiveness, and process design.Efficiency
Supply chain optimization, improve process efficiency, and improve people efficiency.
Jason then described how Honeywell Process Solutions offerings are evolving to meet these needs.
Experion® Process Knowledge System (PKS)
Honeywell’s Experion® Process Knowledge System (PKS) is designed to go beyond traditional Distributed Control System (DCS) functionality by unifying people with process variables, business requirements and asset management. Experion PKS is designed to enable customers to reduce maintenance costs, increase production, optimize processes, increase production volume, decrease production costs, reduce operator related incidents, and increase overall return investment.
The R300 controls are open architecture supporting field networks including Foundation Fieldbus, HART, Modbus, Profibus, DeviceNet, ControlNet, and Honeywell DE.
Experion R310 – Safety Manager Integration
The new updated version of Safety Manager, the company’s safety instrumented system (SIS) platform takes a unique approach to balancing the integration of process controls with critical safety systems. The latest version of Safety Manager, integrated with Honeywell’s Experion® Process Knowledge System (PKS), allows safety and process controllers to directly communicate with each other without depending on intermediate interfaces such as PCs, and without compromising operations security or data integrity using peer to peer Ethernet communications. Flexibility allows users to economically configure safety systems to the level of safety required in an application.
Jason also highlighted Honeywell's service capability with a large staff of trained and certified safety engineers to work with customers globally.
Integrated Fire & Gas Detection
Honeywell states they have the most comprehensive fire & gas detection systems in the world based on their long history in this business. Offerings include flame & smoke detectors, toxic gas detectors, cameras, and all appropriate industry approvals.
Industrial Security Solutions
Honeywell is offering a wide range of security products from simple to high technology devices. Offerings include Radar Surveillance, Access Control, Video Surveillance, and Video Feature Recognition.
Uniformance Process Studio
The Uniformance® Process Studio is a new desktop software package that allows plant engineers to more easily analyze process performance. The user interface includes workflow management applications that enable engineers to build trend graphs and graphics with minimal training or manual configuration. Uniformance Process Studio is designed for use with Honeywell’s Uniformance PHD, which gathers critical data from equipment and instrumentation located throughout a plant. In the event of a plant upset, users can pull historical data to examine how a certain unit functioned in the moments leading up to the incident and use that information to avoid future upsets.
The use of Uniformance Process Studio for trend analysis is accomplished by selecting tags from Uniformance PHD and using a drag-and-drop function to insert them into a trend graph or table. Many commonly used options, such as selecting trend times and sampling methods, are also available through drop-down menus. A multi-trend view allows engineers to view the status of numerous trends, making it easy to monitor the status of several processes or pieces of equipment at once.
The program’s graphics are based on Honeywell’s HMIWeb technology, which is also used in Experion® Process Knowledge System (PKS). This allows graphics from Experion to be replicated in Uniformance Process Studio, which eliminates the need for engineers to spend hours building duplicate graphics.
Uniformance Process Studio also allows users to organize information such as tags, trends, graphics and other items on a regular basis in personal and shared workspaces. This makes it easier for users to find relevant information.
Instruments
Jason also discussed Honeywell’s commitment to expanding their instrument portfolio. At the conference, Honeywell demonstrated a new family of microwave radar level instruments for use in plant storage tanks. The VersaLevel line further enhances the company’s expanding field-device portfolio and provides customers highly accurate and easy-to-install devices for efficient tank-level monitoring. Germany-based KROHNE will manufacture the level transmitters to Honeywell’s standards and specifications for quality, performance and reliability. The VersaLevel product family includes a full line of guided-wave and free-space radar level devices. Both types of devices are suited for a wide range of industries, including chemical, minerals and mining, oil and gas, petrochemicals and pulp and paper.
Honeywell demonstrated a prototype of an Enraf radar transmitter with an integrated the OneWireless node built-in.
Experion R310 - Batch Manager
Honeywell has pushed the batch control logic into the controller improving speed with up to 80% reduction in phase transition time. The controllers can be redundant to provide high reliability. This is configured with Honeywell’s established Control Builder configuration software. Honeywell projects this speed improvement will increase a users production 15-20%.
Experion R310 - Peer Control Data Interface
Experion now provides an interface with third-party subsystems communicating with the Modbus TCP protocol to control devices such as remote terminal units, terminal servers, analyzers and scales.
Experion R310 – 1 ms DISOE
The system now supports 1 ms Digital Input Sequence Of Events (DISOE).
Alarm Shelving
The alarm shelving utility allows operators to better manage and prioritize alarms on their displays. Alarms can be “shelved” for a predetermined amount of time allowing the operator to concentrate on critical alarms and operations. This capability is based on several years of collaboration between Honeywell and the Abnormal Situation Management® consortium in the interest of improving operator effectiveness during abnormal situations that can lead to process upsets. Note: The Abnormal Situation Management (ASM) Consortium is a long-running and active Honeywell-led research and development consortium of 15 companies and universities. www.asmconsortium.com
Power Function Blocks & Turbine Control
Honeywell expanded its relationship with energy products and services leader Wood Group Turbine Control Services to offer a turbine control system for the global power industry by adding power function blocks and turbine control functions. This is an integrated solution based on the Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) containing technology from both Honeywell and Wood Group that automates power plants to improve operator efficiency and safety, reduce maintenance costs and streamline overall production.
Windows Vista
By 2010, Honeywell expects to have incorporated Windows Vista and Windows 2008 Server capabilities, and class-based recipes for Batch Manager. Series C Profibus will also be supported.
OneWireless R110 – Standards Ready
Honeywell’s OneWireless is an offering of products to create a comprehensive plant wide wireless application for sensors, and factory floor information integration with wireless IT networks.
Sensors NetworkHoneywell offers their own Mesh network protocol for OneWireless base on 802.15.4, 2.4 MHz Spread Spectrum. Honeywell has made a commitment to comply with the ISA SP100 standard when it is approved.Multinode Access PointsThe Honeywell Multinode device that is the keystone device for creating a complete plant wide network. The Multinode device has three wireless radios to satisfy various functions. Honeywell has made a commitment to comply with the ISA SP100 standard when it is approved. Users will be able to download an update to make existing systems SP 100 compatible.
Backhaul – This is the wireless network that becomes a node on the general business wireless Ethernet network and is compliant with 802.11 A/B/C.
Factory Floor Information – This network is supports devices such as video cameras, data capture, Honeywell Mobile Station, Honeywell IntelaTrac PKS.
An interesting an aspect of the OneWireless solutions is that it minimizes the involvement of an IT department in a plant.
Mobile User Strategy
Honeywell has products that support wireless terminals and data collection for users.
IntelaTrac® PKSIntelaTrac® PKS is an integrated software and hardware solution for wireless field data collection and intelligent asset management. This field data collection system enables users to integrate field data with data from multiple other sources, including production, process control, and work management systems. IntelaTrac PKS provides mechanical and engineering data to managers and field personnel. On-site computing helps management improve the tracking and reporting of inspections, tests, and repairs for pumps, valves, vents, pipes, vessels, and other plant process equipment. With IntelaTrac PKS, inspection and mechanical data can be collected while operators are in the field and downloaded to reliability, engineering, and equipment databases electronically.Mobile StationHoneywell’s Mobile Station is a wireless mobile productivity solution that provides access to critical process information, historical data, graphics and other key functions to users in the field. Using a wireless Station tablet or other handheld device, Mobile Station solutions simplify security and minimize performance impact on the control system. This uses existing Station displays and HMIWeb technology to eliminate costly and error-prone display re-engineering.
System Migration
Jason reinforced the Honeywell commitment to long to support on existing products. “The TDC 3000 is still going strong with no end of life date.” Features are also being added to the C200. Honeywell’s stated objective is work with customers to achieve the lowest total cost of ownership. A key part of this strategy is to make available ways to incrementally migrate to newer platforms with no downtime, preserve and customer intellectual property (programs, screens, etc.) and add new features in the process. In addition, Honeywell is offering a growing set of migration solutions to interface directly from competitor’s I/O to Honeywell controllers.
Urso also noted that Honeywell has no plans to set an “end of life date” for either the C200 controller or the TDC 3000. “Honeywell looks at the DCS with a 30-year timeframe in mind,” Urso said, “supporting incremental migration to new technologies when the customer is ready, with no downtime and preservation of intellectual property in the system.”
Lessons from Moon Man! Closing Presentation by Alan Bean, Apollo 12 Astronaut and Skylab 3 Commander, at Honeywell User Group 2008
Release Your Inner Hero
Alan Bean gave a great presentation about reaching for goals and teamwork based on his experiences at NASA.