Check out ControlGlobal.com on Google+ and Keith Larson's Google+ profile.
China's enormous investments in manufacturing and energy infrastructure over the past 20 years have taught its engineers some important lessons. Indeed, even as the construction of refineries, smelters, power plants and petrochemical facilities continues at a world-leading pace, a new focus on resources and the environment has begun to shape the country's manufacturing policies, according to Lin Rong, vice chief engineer for engineering firm Sinopec SEI.An important contributor to new industrial facilities that are cleaner, safer and more efficient is the use of digital communication technologies such as FOUNDATION fieldbus, Lin said in his keynote address to the Fieldbus Foundation 2013 General Assembly, March 12-14, in Shanghai. "Foundation technology has changed the future of industrial automation, including the design mode of control systems," Lin said.
Visit Also: FOUNDATION Fieldbus Knowledge Center
As evidence, Lin shared the results of a recent study Sinopec SEI conducted to determine the project cost impact of Foundation fieldbus on several petrochemical projects. The study compared traditional analog instrumentation approaches with FOUNDATION fieldbus. Assuming an average of six devices per fieldbus segment, the company was able to shave 5% off the instrumentation and controls portion of the typical project -- a number that he believes can be further improved by designing segments with more than six instruments and by using domestically developed fieldbus cable in future projects.
Sinopec SEI's Lin was but one of many Chinese process automation professionals to share how FOUNDATION fieldbus is improving operations, maintenance and capital project execution across installations in energy, chemical, petrochemical and metals production verticals. Visit (Images from the Fieldbus Foundation's 2013 General Assembly in Shanghai ) for a slideshow of other presentation highlights.