Wireless Management

Smart Wireless technology has proven its reliability and performance in traditionally wired applications and industries, benefiting the most from wireless technology are upstream oil & gas producers, refineries and chemical facilities.

And, as Emerson (News - Alert) Process Management continues to expand its wireless offerings, its Smart Wireless technology is now widely implemented in refineries, oil fields, offshore platforms, chemical plants and other industrial facilities around the world.

It claims to have clocked more than one billion total hours of wireless operations across 10,000 systems spread over 120 countries, enough to show that customers are relying on wireless technologies not only for hard-to-reach, extreme applications but also for everyday control and monitoring needs.

Since its release five years ago, Emerson estimates that savings realized from smart wireless field devices is more than $350 million and time saved totals 16 man years.

“We knew wireless technology offered substantial savings and it is gratifying to see its rapid and widespread adoption,” said Bob Karschnia, vice president, wireless at Emerson Management.

What is perhaps more noteworthy is that even when cabled instrumentation was destroyed and Japan's Sendai tank farm was badly damaged during the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Emerson claims that its wireless network was still operating even after damage being caused to a wireless transmitter.

Based on the internationally recognized IEC (News - Alert) 62591 WirelessHART standard approved in 2010,

Emerson Smart Wireless technology has helped companies obtain real-time plant data to optimize operations, improve worker and plant safety, and reduce emissions and other environmental impacts.

Emerson has recently introduced Mobile Worker, a hands-free, high-definition voice and video solution that plant personnel can wear in remote field locations. This is aimed at helping process manufacturers save time and money on plant maintenance and trouble-shooting.

Vopak has awarded Emerson Process Management, a global business of Emerson, a three-year Global Framework Agreement to become one of the providers of process automation systems and services for Vopak's 80-plus storage and bulk liquid terminal facilities around the world.