It manages all continuous process control
applications and optimizes batch and sequence-oriented applications
typically found at specialty chemicals, pharmaceutical, food and
beverage and consumer goods producers. The product is scalable from a
single personal computer and controller to multiple stations. The
Experion LS is designed with a subset of commands and includes a
configuration tool that the company maintains can help plants save up
to $20,000 per year in support per system. The easier configuration
also enables faster and more-reliable changeovers, allowing operators
to more easily modify batch recipes and increase production.
“Many applications in the Food and Beverage, Specialty Chemical,
Pharmaceutical and Life Science industries would benefit from the
functionality of a DCS, but the installed base has been limited due to
the perceptions of lack of scalability, great complexity and high
costs,” said ARC Advisory Group analyst Craig Resnick. “Experion LS
appears to address these issues by being designed to be a DCS for the
masses, one that can be specified, purchased, installed, and maintained
in a scalable fashion by organizations that have not utilized DCS
systems in the past. It is especially critical today that
manufacturers, processors, and OEMs leverage these technologies in face
of their unprecedented pressures to cut costs while simultaneously
meeting increased regulations and sustainability objectives.”
“Smaller manufacturing operations tell us they need DCS
functionality, such as the system reliability and greater flexibility
that PLCs can’t offer, but many leading DCS systems are just too big
for their operations,” said Harsh Chitale, vice president of strategy
and global marketing, Honeywell Process Solutions. “Experion LS offers
the best of both worlds. It provides agility to respond to product mix
changes and offers advanced optimization and batch technology usually
found in larger DCS systems.”
Experion LS features Honeywell’s ISA88 compliant and scalable
solution for batch automation that can be fully redundant. The system
minimizes engineering costs with drag-and-drop configuration, pre-built
algorithms, a global database, pre-configured displays and
out-of-the-box batch functionality. Operational advantages are gained
by being able to make automation configuration changes without stopping
production and offering operators a run-time view of control strategy
and sequence status, truly redundant unit execution and integrated
operator instructions.
“For many years, smaller manufacturers faced a dilemma: They needed
to quickly adapt their processes to market changes, but doing so could
reduce system reliability and increases lifecycle costs,” said Chitale.
“As the creator of the first DCS system, Honeywell has taken its
extensive DCS knowledge and designed Experion LS to deliver the agility
these manufacturers need to survive in today’s business environment
without sacrificing system stability.”
