Process safety system: Flexible platform designed to increase plant profitability

New design permits maintenance and even upgrades while in full operation.

By Control Engineering Staff September 3, 2008

HIMA (Paul Hildebrandt GmbH + Co KG) is launching HIMax, a safety system designed to set new standards in process industries by improving plant availability and profitability.

The company reminds us that the profitability of automated production processes depends on continuous operation. In the event of a safety-critical situation, the installed safety system must shut the system down safely, but only when needed. With that in mind, HIMA incorporated maximum fault tolerance, while ensuring that HIMax would permit that all maintenance, expansion, and modification work can be performed online during process operation, without cutting back on safety. This even includes the execution of proof tests which are mandatory according to IEC 61508/11.

The new XMR system architecture allows users to adjust the redundancy of individual modules to the requirements of differing process loops. XMR refers to the degree of modular redundancy in the system, with “x” assuming any value between one and four. This permits a wide range ofly functioning.

HIMA says that even though it is a new development, HIMax is based on safety technology that has proved its dependability thousands of times, which assures that it is reliable from the very start. HIMax delivers high performance in time-critical applications and when high I/O counts are needed, as well as in complex safety applications which require powerful CPU performance.

Its flexible architecture permits online configuration changes as process requirements change, thereby future-proofing the platform investment. Scalability allows users to buy only what they need, since any system can be enlarged whenever necessary.

—Edited by Peter Welander, process industries editor, PWelander@cfemedia.com , Process & Advanced Control Monthly Register here and scroll down to select your choice of free eNewsletters .