Topic: Asset Management

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Automation Project Management – Org Chart Omissions
Project Management Is as Much of an Art as It Is a Science. It Is the Art and Science of Getting Things Done

“Tomorrow Is Not Cancelled”
Automation Companies Want to Emerge from This Downturn in a Stronger Position than Before

Practical Process Safety
ControlGlobal.com
Take Your Medicine. A How-To Prescription for Practical Process Safety, Using Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, Corporate Risk Policy, Consistent Implementation, Thorough Training and Continuous Revaluation—with Help from Harmonizing Standards and New Technical Tools

FDT Technology—What Are DTMs?
ControlGlobal.com
What’s the Scoop on DTMs?

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White Papers: In Depth Research

Public Service Electric and Gas Deploys PI System as Foundation for CMMS System
Author: OSIsoft
Posted: 05/22/2009
Public Service Electric and Gas implemented the SAP PM (Plant Maintenance) system in 2000 to enhance the efficiency of its transmission and distribution equipment maintenance. While this application did improve maintenance systems, it did not provide the proactive, predictive approach to T&D maintenance that the company wanted.

A special project was begun in 2001 to design and implement a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) that would allow PSE&G to monitor equipment status and handle maintenance procedures using a condition-based approach rather than a calendar-based system. The PI System from OSIsoft in San Leandro, Calif., is the foundation on which PSE&G’s engineering and IT staffs created their CMMS solution. The system proposal called for a full ROI by 2005, but the system was launched in early 2002 and began delivering cost savings in its first year. It also is extending the life of aging equipment through more efficient monitoring of performance.

Real-Time Energy Measurement and Empowerment
Author: Russ Barr, Invensys Process Systems
Posted: 04/28/2009
Business leaders in today’s manufacturing industries are facing a key issue, lack of visibility into plant business performance in real-time. Thus, real-time information for plant costs, production value, and contribution margin are generally not available to key decision-makers within the operation. Energy management is a key area where the lack of real-time information has a significant impact. Most companies still do not have a clear understanding of the relationship between energy consumption and the impact on real-time costs. This lack of critical information makes it difficult to make informed decisions as energy-related pricing and costs change frequently, affecting manufacturing business performance. Energy prices comprise a large percentage of variable costs in most operations. The dynamic nature of their impact on the business further confounds the situation owing to factors such as:

- New green energy sources
- Complex and fast changing energy market rates and metering dynamics
- Multiple fuel-burning choices
- New and changing environmental requirements

During these difficult economic times, this problem is magnified and presents a significant challenge to improving efficiencies and managing environmental responsibilities. Today’s business world requires better business information of the manufacturing environment, propagated to all relevant people within the organization to enable and empower better decision-making to improve business performance. Invensys Process Systems (IPS) Real-Time Energy Measurement and Real-Time Energy Empowerment are an effective solution to this problem.

Watch this video
New Information and Resources on Real-Time Energy Management Solutions Now Available From IPS
Learn how real-time energy management can reduce energy costs and consumption.

Managing Previously Unmanaged Assets
Author: Semaphore
Posted: 04/06/2009
How Wireless Remote Monitoring Enables Low-Cost Data Logging and Control

Economically meeting requirements for monitoring of mobile assets and remote processes always presents project engineers a considerable challenge. While the initial requirements are reasonable, complexityinvariably emerges when the needs of all interested parties are assessed.

This is particularly the case when the asset or process consists of a small number of monitoring points. The requirements can be regulatory or economically-driven. For example, monitoring of combined sewage overflow (CSO) by water utilities meets a regulatory requirement. Compliance with mandates from agencies such as the EPA calls for monitoring of remote locations in which only a single measurement, flow or level, is taken per site.

Monitoring of vendor-managed inventory, such as a chemical level in a tank, is an economically-driven example. Again, only a single measurement, tank level or pressure, is required. Economic goals include customer satisfaction and operation of the delivery/service fleet in the most efficient manner.

Leased generators and pumps exemplify mobile assets in which, at minimum, one or two measurements are recorded. In those cases, however, requirements could grow to dozens of measurements. Customer satisfaction and optimal management and maintenance of the asset inventory are the goals.

It Pays to Give Energy Management a Thought!
Author: Jason Pennington, Madhukar Puniani & Stefan Woehrle. Endress+Hauser
Posted: 03/30/2009
In the last few years, the cost of energy has increased many fold, this has made the measurement and management of energy a key area of activity in the industry. As the demand of energy increases world wide, the pressure on resources increases and this leads to the increase in costs. It is a simple issue of demand and supply. Even the environment is under threat due to increased release of greenhouse gasses. In the modern competitive world, tangible costs must be reduced and efficiency optimized to be competitive. Even at the recently G8, targets were set at reducing the emissions released through burning of fuels. It is amazing how we can achieve both goals of lower costs through better efficiency and lower emissions through better energy management.

This paper comments on possible ways to manage energy in a processing plant. More specifically we will concentrate on better energy measurement and increasing efficiency through benchmarking and information management. The author will also offer practical ways to reduce operational costs with small capital expenditure and thus a fast ROI.

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Timeless Resources

Selecting an automation security consultant This "special to the web" article by Charles Landis notes that you may want to consider hiring an expert to design a process control security program that is in your best interest financially and operationally.