Rockwell Automation has expanded its toolbox for companies looking to easily migrate from legacy DCS systems to the PlantPAx process automation system. These new tools are part of a phased migration approach from Rockwell Automation that helps eliminate many of the costs, risks and complexities involved in moving to a modern, scalable, multidisciplined control platform.

“Implementing a single control platform across all plant-floor applications provides our customers with a number of advantages, including reduced spare-parts requirements, more synchronized processes, and lower maintenance and training costs,” said Mike Vernak, DCS Migrations program manager, Rockwell Automation. “It also improves plantwide integration by enabling the seamless transfer of real-time data from disparate control systems for improved decision making and increased manufacturing flexibility.”

• The new migration tools from Rockwell Automation include:
• Database conversion, cabling solution and I/O scanner for migrating a Siemens MOORE APACS system
• Cabling solution and improved database-conversion tool for migrating the Invensys Foxboro I/A system
• I/O scanner for Allen-Bradley SMART I/O for migrating an Emerson Fisher PROVOX system
• Universal Control Network interface for migrating the Honeywell TDC3000 system

A new ISA standards committee, ISA108, Intelligent Device Management, is currently seeking members. The committee will define standard templates of best practices and work processes for design, development, installation and use of diagnostic and other information provided by intelligent field devices in the process industries.

Intelligent field devices, pervasive in modern process manufacturing, bring the promise of transforming the way information is utilized related to these devices and to the processes they control. Devices with impending maintenance problems, for example, can be identified earlier, and information can be provided directly to process automation systems, plant asset management systems, or any other systems or software in a plant as required.

In many cases, however, the promise remains unrealized, often because users are employing old maintenance work processes with new technology. The new devices and applications are installed, but operators and technicians stick to their traditional approaches to preventive or routine maintenance and do not take advantage of the huge amount of information available to them.

“With more than 80% of smart instrument data not being used or even connected to an online data collection system, the lost revenues to the process industries are tremendous,” said ISA108 Managing Director Ian Verhappen of Yokogawa Canada. “Thus, the need is clear for a series of standards on how to integrate this data into control systems and work practices to achieve the benefits of proactive maintenance.”

ISA108 will hold an initial meeting on 24 September 2012 in Orlando, Florida in conjunction with ISA Automation Week. The bulk of the committee’s work will be conducted electronically.

'ISA New Committee on Intelligent Device Management Seeks Members'

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA (21 August 2012) – The ISA Security Compliance Institute (ISCI) announced that two additional Honeywell Process Solutions have earned ISASecure Embedded Device Security Assurance (EDSA) certification. Honeywell’s latest demonstration of cybersecurity assurance comes on the heels of having earned, in the fall of 2011, its first EDSA certification for the company’s embedded Safety Manager device, which delivers safety assurance for operators who oversee industrial processes.

Now, two additional Honeywell industrial control system products, the company’s Experion® C300 distributed control system (DCS) controller and Experion fieldbus interface module (FIM), have completed the rigors of ISCI EDSA testing. Each of these devices now carries the ISASecureTM designation.

The designation recognizes the integrity of the embedded devices and their production lifecycle. This achievement follows extensive testing for communication robustness, functional security, and software development security.

The Experion C300 DCS controller supports a range of process control situations, including continuous and batch processes and integration with smart field devices. It handles process control requirements from integration with batch systems to controlling devices on a variety of networks. The Experion FIM assists the integration of FOUNDATION Fieldbus and the Experion system.

The ISASecure™ EDSA certification provides Honeywell’s customers and their procurement teams the extra assurance that these certified devices can deliver on their promises.

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA (15 August 2012) — The International Society of Automation (ISA) is proud to announce the winners of the 2012 ISA Educational Foundation Scholarships. These scholarships are awarded to college and university students who demonstrate outstanding potential to make lasting contributions in the fields of automation, instrumentation and control. The scholarship awards support tuition, related expenses, research activities and initiatives.

ISA awarded a total of $53,874, which was distributed among undergraduate students in two-year and four-year colleges and universities, and to graduate students.

'ISA Announces Recipients of 2012 ISA Educational Foundation Scholarships'