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Emerson's Plantweb to automate Chinese drug plant

03/28/2008

Austin, Texas, March 27 – 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 start-up, 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.

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.