ُMERSON Process Management is collaborating with Cisco to offer open-standard solutions for wireless process and plant management applications that install easily and operate reliably in the challenging process manufacturing environment.

Emerson, a global leader in process automation, and Cisco, a global leader in IT networking for industrial and business management applications, are combining their expertise and technology to deliver a complete solution that improves productivity, safety, and operational efficiency for manufacturing customers.
Emerson’s wireless process applications use self-organising field networks for increased monitoring of plant data for control and asset optimisation; they also offer mobile operator and maintenance worker applications.  Cisco wireless plant networks offer applications including those for worker mobility, voice over IP communications, tracking of personnel and assets, and video applications.
“Since we began the global introduction of Smart Wireless field networks a year ago, we’ve been excited at the high customer interest and their quickly realised business results,” says John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management. “We are pleased to be working with Cisco to extend our offering to include wireless plant network solutions with the security and reliability required in the process environment.  The combined field and plant communications platform supports current and future applications that help enable faster and more effective business management over the life of the plant. Additionally, Cisco’s commitment to open standards makes it an ideal partner for Emerson and our customers.”
“Networks and mobility are dramatically transforming our customers businesses and in-plant processes,” says Maciej Kranz, vice president of product marketing for Wireless Business Unit for Cisco. “By delivering a combined wireless architecture from Emerson and Cisco, we are enabling our manufacturing process customers to deploy flexible, scaleable and safe wireless solutions and mobility applications in rugged plant environments.”
Emerson will project-manage and deliver the wireless solution to customers by working with Cisco and taking advantage of their joint expertise.  Emerson and Cisco have developed a services plan to design, specify, install and support wireless solutions for customers worldwide.  These customised solutions will provide end users with a competitive edge through open-standards wireless technology and a complete network platform that ensures they can start with any application and easily expand as the technology evolves.
Many Emerson customers use Cisco‘s wired plant network applications today and will realise an advantage by extending their relationships to include wireless applications.
Emerson’s wireless platform will extend the Smart Wireless capabilities of PlantWeb digital plant architecture to include wireless plant networks. The networks use the Cisco Unified Wireless Architecture offering, including industrial-class wireless access points, controllers and network management software, and plant applications such as communication, tracking and worker mobility tools. 
Emerson will use the Cisco Unified Wireless Architecture to provide ubiquitous, highly secure wireless LAN coverage and integration within the plant’s existing IT infrastructure; this integration eliminates the need for a complex wireless overlay network.  Cisco’s Wireless Control System will centralise the configuration and management of the plant’s Wi-Fi network, reducing overall cost of ownership.  “We envision that the open-standard wireless infrastructure and applications jointly architected with Cisco will simplify the implementation of value-added wireless automation projects and reduce risk,” summarised Berra.  “The age of wireless will be advanced as process and IT improvements are smoothly integrated, and the canyons of steel and limits of wiring are removed as obstacles to the imagination of customers.”
Meanwhile, Emerson Process Management has successfully applied its wireless self-organising mesh field network to monitor wellhead annular pressure and heat exchanger pressures on the Grane offshore platform. The Grane platform is operated by StatoilHydro and is stationed in the Norwegian Sea off the coast of Bergen, Norway. 
Emerson’s self-organising wireless mesh technology is ideally suited to the application of wireless technology, enabling remote monitoring and control of the process in difficult to reach areas. Emerson believes that the network on the Grane platform is the first offshore wireless installation in Europe.
“We had some concerns that this new technology would work reliably in the harsh environment of our offshore platform”, says Geir Leon Vadheim, Instrument Lead, Grane Operations, StatoilHydro. “We also needed to address the issue of how we would integrate the data gathered by the wireless gateway into a third party system. As it turns out, the integration was easy and the performance of the Smart Wireless transmitters has exceeded our expectations.”
The wellhead area is crowded with metal pipe work, metal walkways above and below, together with other metal obstructions. Despite the challenging environment, as each transmitter was powered up, the devices found the gateway and the mesh was established.  As new devices were added, they quickly and easily joined the mesh.  Signal strength and consistency during the operational period has been excellent.
The wireless network enables continuous monitoring of pressures and eliminates the need for daily visits to the wellhead to manually record gauge readings. Continuous monitoring enables unusual readings to be identified earlier and action taken to investigate and rectify faults before they develop into serious problems.
The Smart Wireless network on the platform includes 22 wireless Rosemount pressure transmitters which replace traditional gauges.  Ten pressure transmitters are mounted on a wellhead and used to measure annular pressure. A further twelve pressure transmitters monitor inlet pressure and pressure drop over the heat exchanger. Each transmitter relays data back to the operator consoles in the control room. Installation was quick and easy with a gauge adapter fitting used to allow a direct ‘screw in’ replacement.  A wireless gateway was mounted outside the process area on one side of the platform, at a height where it oversees the wellhead area.
 “We are delighted with the performance of the Emerson Smart Wireless network in these challenging conditions“, says Geir Leon Vadheim. “Following a short training programme, our instrument engineers are very confident about adding more wireless devices to our installation as required. These typically take around two hours to install compared with up to two days for a conventional wired unit.”
Following the success of this installation, StatoilHydro are planning to install Emerson Smart Wireless transmitters on other offshore platforms that it operates in the area.
Another client, PPG Industries has installed and commissioned Emerson Process Management’s Smart Wireless solution at its expansive Chemical Division facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana, US. The production installation follows field trials of Emerson’s self-organising wireless networks conducted by a PPG cross-functional process and corporate IT personnel team. The team verified the reliability and coexistence performance of the network, and also deployed it in the plant.