Mechanical Technology

Mechanical Technology — September 2015

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Automation, mechatronics and electro-mechanical systems

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Automation expertise demonstrated at Offshore Europe

ockwell Automation demonstrated

its extensive control, safety and pro‑

cess automation expertise in the oil

and gas industry at Offshore Europe 2015,

with a clear message to exhibition visitors:

“You can get more from your assets, reduce

operational costs and bridge the skills gap

if you embrace the company’s technology

and experience”.

Drawing on its experience of the fast

pace of technological evolution from in‑

dustry beyond the oil and gas environment,

Rockwell Automation is challenged visitors

to see how they can benefit from increased

connectedness between operational and

information technology, while having a

higher level of information visibility.

The company will be highlighting four

key areas where its control and automation

solutions have enhanced customer produc‑

tion around the world: managing obsoles‑

cence; enhancing performance through

modern safety solutions; performing system

migrations without interrupting production;

and collaborating – using equipment from a

variety of vendors to create single, efficient

and modern processing solutions.

Managing obsolescence:

The stand, along‑

side strategic alliance partners and global

leaders in measurement instrumentation

and services, Endress+Hauser, featured

proof-points for reducing the risk associated

with unsupported and obsolete technology.

Experienced Rockwell Automation engi‑

neers talked through best practices towards

extending the lifecycle of existing assets,

while reducing the risk of expensive shut‑

downs associated with equipment failures.

Safety consulting:

A comprehensive portfo‑

lio of safety solutions were also showcased,

including the extensive assessment and

consulting services available through the

Rockwell Automation global safety services

teams.

Migration/hot cutover:

Front of mind

for many visitors was

maintaining throughput

while implementing over‑

all operational improve‑

ments to their facilities.

Rockwell Automation

addressed the critical

question on how to best

plan, install, commission

and integrate new control

systems and electrical

equipment with existing

architectures without

taking large sections of

a plant offline.

Included in this best-practice approach

is the introduction of ‘Work Packs’, which

list instructions for installation and com‑

missioning teams on how best to manage

the materials, work actions and health and

safety involved with a hot cut-over to more

efficient modern solutions.

Multi-vendor support:

At the heart of each

of these approaches is the ability for critical

control and safety solutions to work seam‑

lessly with existing equipment regardless of

the original vendor. Rockwell Automation

staff described examples of projects from all

around the world that have benefitted from

the multi-vendor support available through

their process offering.

At Offshore Europe 2015, Rockwell Automation demonstrated its

extensive control, safety and process automation expertise for the

entire supply chain of the oil and gas industry.