Podcast: Follow a migration in progress

In November 2006, Control Engineering’s Peter Welander first talked to Tom Williams from Honeywell Specialty Materials in Geismar, LA, about a major, long-term upgrade of the company’s fluorine products plant as it continues to produce hydrofluoric acid, polymers and refrigerants. Welander and Bob Vavra, editorial director of Plant Engineering (a Control Engineering sister publicat...

By Control Engineering Staff September 1, 2008

In November 2006, Control Engineering ’s Peter Welander first talked to Tom Williams from Honeywell Specialty Materials in Geismar, LA, about a major, long-term upgrade of the company’s fluorine products plant as it continues to produce hydrofluoric acid, polymers and refrigerants.

Welander and Bob Vavra, editorial director of Plant Engineering (a Control Engineering sister publication), caught up with Williams recently to discuss a number of topics related to the chemical plant’s upgrade, including:

Implementation of advanced process control strategy;

Changing roles of operators in a more automated environment;

Using simulation platforms for operator training;

New safety and security capabilities;

Alarm management;

Maintenance strategy;

Early event detection;

Actual and potential wireless implementations; and

What lies ahead.

The conversation revealed that his team has made a lot of progress in the last 18 months with the plant’s migration process. To hear a podcast of this discussion, visit www.controleng.com , click on the Podcasts tab, and select “Migration in Progress.”