Invensys outlines vision for chemical plant of the future
Invensys, a global player in production technology, recently presented its vision of the 'Chemical Plant of the Future', stressing the need for integrating information collected on the plant floor with enterprise-level systems.
Dr Calvin B. Cobb, vice president and general manager, Invensys Global Hydrocarbons, said that the amount of information currently being collected on the plant floor is much greater than 5 to 10 years ago. 'If plant floor information, such as historical data, can be combined with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, such as SAP, chemical industry companies could save millions of dollars in improved manufacturing processes.' Cobb said.
The key tool that Invensys is offering to customers to link their systems and create the plant of the future is ArchestrA technology, a comprehensive plant automation and information architecture designed from the outset to extend the life of legacy systems by leveraging the latest software technologies like Microsoft.NET. Cobb said that chemical producers are under tremendous pressure to reduce costs and maximise returns. 'They are scrutinising all areas of their businesses - including their enterprise systems. However, while some chemical companies will spend hundreds of millions of dollars implementing an ERP system, no matter how successful their installation, they will not maximise returns unless they link their business systems and shop floor data,' Cobb said.