December 11, 2007 - Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that it has released the latest upgrade to its Plant Resource Manager (PRM), version R3.02. PRM is a key component of Yokogawa’s Asset Excellence initiative that integrates and manages maintenance information, monitors online conditions, and records historical data of assets ranging from field devices to plant equipment. The main features of the latest version of PRM are as follows:
(1) Integration with GE’s System 1 platform
Yokogawa and GE Energy are now able to provide an integrated solution bringing together the System 1 platform and Yokogawa’s asset management offering. System 1 is a companion condition monitoring and diagnostic software platform to GE’s Bently Nevada 3500 and 3300 Series online monitoring hardware. As a system solution, it provides both preventative and protection benefits for a customer’s critical assets. The System 1 platform performs a detailed diagnosis of assets such as turbines and rotating and reciprocating equipment that are critical to customers’ operations, improving performance predictability.
By using the System 1 interface package, PRM R3.02 is able to provide a consolidated supervisory window for critical machinery assets as well as field instrumentation such as transmitters and flowmeters. In a Device Navigator window, PRM R3.02 can display the plant equipment and equipment status monitored by System 1.
PRM R3.02 integrates alarms and event messages generated by System 1 and provides additional information such as root cause and countermeasures advisories. Via PRM R3.02, these alarm messages can also be displayed on the operator stations (HIS) of Yokogawa’s production control system CENTUM CS 3000 R3. The interface with GE’s System 1 has widened the scope of PRM’s asset management capabilities, helping operators make decisions by providing easy access to rich information on the health of their critical assets.
(2) Interchange of data with FieldMate
The FieldMate Versatile Device Management Wizard is a software application for PCs that can be used to set, adjust, and troubleshoot parameters of field devices using either the HART or FOUNDATION fieldbus protocols. Adjustment parameters, historical data, operation records, and other FieldMate data can be synchronized with a PRM database and displayed in a single window. For example, you can use FieldMate to set the initial parameters for devices, then upload and store the data in PRM.
Conversely, the parameters stored in PRM can also be downloaded to FieldMate and accessed when performing maintenance or replacing a field device.PRM R3.02 will bring changes in how maintenance is performed, enabling an evolution to a much more predictive and even proactive approach. The resulting improvements in plant operations will reduce total cost of ownership.
About GE Energy
GE Energy is one of the world’s leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2006 revenue of $19 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE’s corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.
About Yokogawa Corporation of America
Yokogawa's global network of 18 manufacturing facilities, 84 companies, and over 650 sales and engineering offices spans 33 countries. Since its founding in 1915, the US$4 billion company has been engaged in cutting-edge research and innovation, securing more than 7,000 patents and registrations, including the world's first digital sensors for flow and pressure measurement. Industrial automation and control, test and measurement, information systems and industry support are the core businesses of Yokogawa.