EC: Experion PKS Orion

Process Control systems: Experion PKS Orion is a distributed process automation and control system that will help modernize manufacturing by allowing plants to remotely configure process and safety IO without additional hardware; and trim production costs using virtualization. This is a Control Engineering 2013 Engineers' Choice Awards Honorable Mention.

By Control Engineering November 12, 2012

The pressures for manufacturers to meet first-production schedules on time and under budget are greater than ever. The newest version of Honeywell’s Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) alleviates those pressures by transforming process control. Experion PKS Orion reduces the risks and costs of implementing process control by compressing schedules in new project implementation, and improving lifecycle return on investment.

Experion PKS Orion introduces two major process control innovations: First, it uses Universal Channel Technology to remotely configure process and safety IO without the need for additional hardware; and allows for standardized cabinets as any field signal can be connected to any IO channel. This is significant because there are approximately 20 million Experion IO channels operating worldwide, meaning the opportunity to significantly reduce engineering costs industry-wide is vast. Universal Channel Technology removes the dependency on dedicated IO defined by signal type, providing flexibility in adding different IO types into a common, “universal” module. This provides flexibility in IO configuration, eliminating the need for custom hardware alignment with different IO configurations and allows for last-minute design changes. Additionally, Universal IO is fully redundant.

Second, Experion PKS Orion offers a complete, turnkey virtualization solution that reduces lifecycle management costs of automation systems. Operating on more virtual platforms is becoming the new reality for process industries, and reduced hardware is a large component of the movement to reduce overall lifecycle and asset cost. Experion provides the market’s most complete virtualization solution cutting lifecycle management costs by up to 30% through reduced physical hardware while shrinking energy footprints up to 80%. In energy-intensive industries like floating/offshore oil and gas operations, the impact is considerable. Finally, Experion PKS Orion is the first distributed control system to achieve ISA99 certification, which assures operators that it meets rigorous cyber security standards.

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