Hot off of the ISA Standards Press: ISA TR106.00.01
The first Technical Report from the ISA106 Committee, Procedure Automation for Continuous Process Operations – Models and Terminology, was approved on August 7, 2013 and will be available for purchase...
View ArticleNot Your Daddy's Batch - One from the Archives
The recent release of the ISA Technical Report from the ISA106 Committee, Procedure Automation for Continuous Process Operations – Models and Terminology got me thinking about how batch is implemented...
View ArticleVariable Frequency Drives to Replace Control Valves … Again!
For those of you that have been following this blog for a while now, you probably have figured out that this topic is one of my pet projects. And I seem to be getting a lot of help this year...
View ArticleProcess industry automation meets maritime needs
Today I would like to share a very interesting article from Luis Duran and Kai Hansen of ABB. It focuses on the application of process industry automation techniques to the very specific challenges of...
View ArticleDitch the Control Valves!
Just a quick entry on using VFDs instead of control valves: Dick Caro’s entry on SustainablePlant.com from April 5th was posted again recently. He talks about the benefits and the reasons behind his...
View ArticleA Fitness Regimen for Safety Instrumented Systems
The road to restoring and maintaining tip‐top safety system performance sometimes starts with the admission that your plant’s protective systems—and the work processes that support them—may have...
View ArticleThe Safety Fitness Test (Part 2)
The assessment phase begins with a thorough updating of process conditions and risk factors. Safety fitness (risk reduction) goals should take into account the plant’s latest key performance indicators...
View ArticleRevisit your SIL Requirements (Part 3)
In light of the updated process performance parameters mentioned above, revisit the safety integrity level (SIL) requirements of your processes as well as the ability of safety instrumented functions...
View ArticlePlan for Safety System Success (Part 4)
The first step in achieving—or restoring—the performance of your plant’s safety systems begins with a cold‐eyed assessment of their current capabilities. Only then can you begin to develop a plan to...
View ArticleSafety for the Long Haul (Conclusion)
Safety system performance over the "operate and maintain" phase of its lifecycle relies on disciplined work processes and feedback mechanisms to ensure that its abilities don’t deteriorate over time,...
View ArticleSafety System Update Considerations (Part 5)
For process plants with older safety instrumented systems, then, the outcome of any responsible safety fitness assessment and planning process is likely not whether to upgrade, but the timing of the...
View ArticleRobust Safety with Lower Project Costs (Part 6)
While the safety components of an integrated environment must adhere to the design, testing, validation and certification processes applicable to safety systems, an integrated approach to control and...
View ArticlePlease - do NOT sit!
Sitting all day has negative impact on your body, but minor changes in your work habits will decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases. We as a society are becoming too sedentary, something has to...
View ArticleControl Room Operators - Generation ‘G’ are coming, are we ready?
A well-known issue faced by industries around the world is the impending retirement of some of their most competent Control Room Operators. Industry is also finding it harder and harder to attract...
View ArticleControl Room Operators - What will Generation ‘G’ bring to the party?
A continuation of the discussion on Generatoin G and what they bring to he control room.
View ArticleA Comparison of High End vs. Traditional Control Rooms - Part 1
During 2013, CGM, together with a research team from Chalmers University performed different control room hypotheses at our Future Operation Center. The primary hypothesis for the Chalmers study was to...
View ArticleA Comparison of High End vs. Traditional Control Rooms - Part 2
In the first post on this topic, we took a deeper look at how discomfort was perceived in the different control rooms. In this blog post, we will take a look at stress and energy in the control rooms...
View ArticleSight angle criteria in industrial control rooms
Some control rooms are built and planned with traditional basic level of integration which requires use of multiple monitors from different suppliers to be mounted at different locations. It is also...
View ArticleSmart Ergonomic Control Room Workplaces engage Generation "G" - Part 1
Little has been done in the past decade to attract the next generation into the industry although it seems like the sleeping giant, which is the whole Engineering industry, is just beginning to wake up...
View ArticleSmart Ergonomic Control Room Workplaces engage Generation "G" - Part 2
Part 2 of our four part series on the Smart Ergonomic control room and its impact on Generation "G". One issue that most industries have, whether they want to admit it or not, will be one of attracting...
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