Houston, TX—Predictive solutions that let process manufacturers manage asset availability and utilization to improve business performance were unveiled by Invensys Process Systems at its recent customer conference in Houston. The asset performance management tools draw upon technology from across the company (Avantis, Foxboro, SimSci-Esscor, Triconex, Wonderware) and its technology partners.

"In the past, asset availability was the domain of maintenance departments and asset utilization was the domain of operations," said Mike Caliel, Invensys president. "As a result vendor solutions were typically aimed at one or the other. However, maximum asset value is derived by balancing asset availability and utilization in a manner that best meets current business objectives. This requires a holistic approach."

Invensys is introducing nine component- and system-level solutions or "monitors" at this time. These build upon new and existing capabilities and, the company reports, will soon be expanded to encompass performance management solutions for entire industry-specific asset sets.

Initial component-level solutions monitor and manage performance of field devices, process control loops, and plant equipment. They include:

• Instrument monitor—provides comprehensive device configuration functionality for any vendor's field devices;
• Valve monitor—provides tools for predictive maintenance and valve management;
• Loop monitor—uses local or remote advanced diagnostic methods to determine control loop performance;
• Pump monitor—provides a variety of on-line diagnostic and analysis tools, including as advanced method for measuring friction, shock, and dynamic load transfer between moving parts; and
• Equipment monitor—combines traditional vibration monitoring capabilities, sonic signature profiling technology, empirical and first principles modeling, and advanced condition monitoring technologies with analysis tools and workflow guidance for preventive and predictive maintenance, operations, and engineering for critical plant equipment.

Initial system-level solutions monitor and manage plant alarms, process control network security, safety system integrity, and control system performance. They include:

• Alarm management monitor—provides an applied toolset for rationalizing process, system, and equipment alarms to reduce nuisance alarms and alarm storms;
• Security management monitor—helps identify site-specific network security vulnerabilities and provides ongoing services to help protect process control networks;
• Safety integrity monitor—is a decision-support tool based on actual probability-of-failure-on-demand (PFD) for safety instrumented functions (SIF) throughout a plant;
• Automation platform monitor—uses remote diagnostic tools to help ensure plant automation systems operate at peak performance.