Emerson impresses with new technologies and strategies in Brisbane

According to Emerson Process Management, wireless technology isn’t just about saving wiring costs.

“Saving wiring costs is a huge benefit of wireless devices, considering a single wireless gateway can replace tens of wired I/Os. But just as importantly, wireless technology allows you to keep your personnel from having to access areas of the plant that are harsh or too remote,” said Shaun Taylor, Vice President Asia Pacific.

Taylor was one of the speakers at Emerson Process Management’s ‘Performance Without Compromise’ user conference at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in September. Close to 200 delegates gathered to hear seminars and information sessions and view application displays at the event, as well as to hear new product information and company updates from representatives such as Tom Diederich, Vice President and General Manager for Australia and New Zealand. The Brisbane event was the second-last stop in the series of events which travelled through Asia and Australia throughout August and September.

Emerson launched a new wireless product, the Smart Wireless THUM Adapter, at the conference. The THUM is a small wireless transmitter - about the size of an adult male’s thumb - that plugs into existing and legacy HART devices and allows data to be collected wirelessly via Emerson’s Smart Wireless technology. It takes advantage of power scavenging technology, so that it doesn’t require an internal battery, and is designed to extend the functionality and value of existing deployed HART devices by allowing additional diagnostic data to be gathered.

Emerson Process Management Vice President Marketing and Services, Hakan Erdamar, also explained how wireless technology can contribute towards personnel and asset safety in large plant complexes.

“We can monitor machine health and personnel location using a combination of RFID tracking and wireless technology. We can also use these technologies to control the environmental impact of the plant, by monitoring emissions and controlling waste.”

The issue of loss of plant expertise with an ageing workforce has also led to ‘human-centred design’ being a major focus for Emerson Process Management for the next few years, according to Taylor.

“Products should be easy to learn, easy to use and require little or no attention at plant level. We have opened a Human Centred Design Centre of Excellence at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States to act as a research and testing centre for new Emerson Process Management products.”

Emerson Process Management is the largest of eight strategic business units of the greater Emerson corporation and represents 27% of the corporation’s revenue.

“We put a lot of planning and effort into new and existing products, investing US$750m in innovation and development last year alone. Today, we have 8500 people around the world working on developing new products,” said Diederich.

With its Asia Pacific headquarters based in Singapore, Emerson Process Management has a presence in all major Australian cities.

The event concluded with an exhibition that brought together technical experts and product managers to showcase a range of Emerson Process Management solutions.