Innovation and globalization at Emerson Process Management

After 37 years of service to the process industries, John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management, says he sees ahead a moment in time alive with new possibilities.

A $4.2 billion provider of automation solutions to industries that include hydrocarbons & energy, liquefied natural gas, power, and refining, Emerson Process Management's business is at the very heart of the political and economic developments commonly filed under the general heading "globalization."

What's more, already having himself seen the process industries make the stupendous leaps from pneumatic to analog to digital control, Berra says a new era of technology advances is poised to begin.

"We can take existing facilities and get more out of them, and build new plants in developing areas where, at the same time, we might have to train a whole new work force," says Berra.

Last year, Emerson Process Management experienced significant growth, especially in overseas markets. This year, says Berra, the growth continues—at 15 percent in the most recent quarter—but is more evenly spread. "Coal-fired power plants are being built in the U.S. The nuclear power industry is back. Gas plants and refineries are being refurbished and expanded. It's true most new facilities are going up in emerging markets, including Asia, the Mideast, and Africa."

At the recent Emerson Global Users Exchange, the technology advance Berra and his management team were most interested in talking about was "wireless," because, as Berra put it, "No wires mean no limits."

As is well known, process industry plants operate using distributed control systems (DCS) and networks of field devices. Adoption of technology to further optimize process production is often stymied—not by the cost of the technology itself—but by the cost and disruption of having to install wiring from the control system to the field devices. In fact, Emerson says eliminating the wires slashes 90 percent of installation cost.

"Think of all the intelligence that can't be gathered because the projects are too expensive," said Berra to the attendees in his keynote address. "Think of the many things we don't know in real time, including power usage, leaks and releases, corrosion, vibration and temperature excursions, and safety."

To achieve wireless monitoring and control, Emerson's technology of choice is the self-organizing mesh network, which routes data via radio signal pathways that overcome obstructions or interference because each point "passes on" signals emanating from other points, meaning the signal can "go around" an obstruction.

Dave Lafferty, of BP's chief technology office, participated in wireless field trials Emerson performed at BP's Cherry Point refinery. "Even during the trials," he says, "operational issues were identified that could be addressed using this technology, and word of mouth created interest in other plants."

At the event, Emerson introduced solutions that combine wireless network technology and measurement transmitters with the means for device management and system integration.

As for globalization, Berra says it's inevitable, and that Emerson's presence in China, for example, began in 1978 with technology transfer programs and progressed to a joint venture. Today his company has its own sales, manufacturing, and distribution network in China, based not on an export strategy, but rather on servicing the vast needs of the world's fastest growing major economy.