Honeywell Users Group: Controls, instrumentation advance

As ideas and insights are exchanged this week among end-users, system integrators, and technology developers at the Honeywell Users Group Americas Symposium, Honeywell announced technology advances in training, process sensors, wireless, safety, and MES software.

By Plant Engineering Staff June 18, 2008

At the Honeywell Users Group Americas Symposium (HUG), Honeywell announced technology advances in multiple areas. The June 16 and 17 announcements include an operator training system for refining processes; microwave radar level sensors, wireless networks, and safety products; as well as pharmaceutical MES, data analysis, and process automation software introductions.

(In other news this week, also underway is the Freescale Technology Forum .)

The annual HUG conference , June 15-20, provides “opportunity to exchange ideas and insights with this many industry peers…. Every year, the Users Group leads to significant improvements in our operations,” organizers say. It has user presentations, industry-specific sessions, topical roundtable discussions, training, and a demonstration area.

Concurrent Honeywell Process Solutions

Wireless is ready to comply with ISA100 standard : Updated Honeywells. The network can be upgraded to the ISA100.11a standard, when it is completed, via an over-the-air software update, company says.

Experion Process Knowledge System enhancements: Honeywell Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) has been enhanced, allowing plant operators to carefully coordinate process control, safety shutdown and fire and gas mitigation steps. In addition to the safety instrumented system (SIS) integration, Honeywell says Experion helps improve plant operations through embedded simulation capabilities used for comprehensive operator training and control, display and procedure validation. Other new features include integrated batch functionality said to significantly increase production and reliability for chemical and life sciences companies.

Microwave radar level instruments : Honeywell introduced its new family of microwave radar level instruments for use in plant storage tanks. The VersaLevel line enhances the company’s expanding field-device portfolio and provides customers highly accurate and easy-to-install devices for tank-level monitoring, the company says. Germany-based Krohne will manufacture the level transmitters to Honeywell’s standards and specifications for quality, performance, and reliability.

Pharmaceutical MES product line helps tracking, reduces patient risk: Two additions to the Honeywell POMSnet Web-based manufacturing execution system (MES) for the pharmaceutical industry include a platform upgrade of POMSnet and POMStrace, a new tracking technology said to help reduce patient risk by improving communication and response time during clinical trials.

Safety manager update balances process, safety system integration : An updated version of Honeywell Safety Manager, the company’s safety instrumented system (SIS) platform, balances the integration of process controls with critical safety systems. The latest version of Safety Manager, integrated with Honeywell’s Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) , allows safety and process controllers to communicate with each other without requiring intermediate interfaces, such as PCs, and without compromising operations security or data integrity, the company says.

Simulation software to trains refinery operators : Honeywell Process Solutions business and UOP LLC (a Honeywell company) will provide simulation software that trains refinery operators how to best run UOP (Universal Oil Products) processes used in the production of fuels and petrochemicals.

Uniformance Process Studio for plant data analysis: Honeywell Uniformance Process Studio is a new desktop software package that allows plant engineers to more easily analyze process performance. A user-friendly interface includes workflow management applications that enable engineers to build trend graphs and graphics with minimal training or manual configuration, the company says.