Honeywell on April 26 introduced the Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) R300, featuring an innovative redesign of its proven automation and control platform hardware. Experion's open and secure architecture includes new embedded cyber security technology to help prevent denial of service attacks and message flooding at the control level. Additionally, Experion R300 has a feature no other competitor offers in its control system, an automated backup and restore product. And, to improve system uptime, the release includes an integrated solution that automates complex procedures to improve operator efficiency. Experion R300 introduces the Series C optionally redundant process input-output (I/O) family. Using a vertical design, Series C I/O delivers wiring, maintenance and cost savings. Competitive systems are anywhere from five to 75 percent larger. As a result of the new Series C I/O vertical design, customers also can save in total control room build costs, which can cost as much as $750 per square foot to construct. In addition to I/O, this innovative vertical packing concept has been extended to the controller and the Fieldbus Interface Module, providing both with a smaller and higher performance package."We recently compared Experion R300 versus older technology at a customer site and found that we can increase flexibility and functionality and reduce the customer's footprint by 34 percent - a very significant savings," said Jack Bolick, president of Honeywell Process Solutions. "This new control hardware extends the benefits of the platform to our process knowledge system that has already proven itself at facilities worldwide."Specifically, the Experion R300 platform delivers these incremental features:
- An additional cyber security layer to Experion's High Security Network Architecture, the Experion Control Firewall, further protects the controller network against message flooding and denial of service attacks;
- A new "Backup and Restore" automated system provides automated disaster recovery - allowing customers to recover and restore their failed nodes in less than an hour as compared to days in some cases when manual back-up procedures are used. This is significant because each hour a production line is down can cost a company, as much as $25,000 an hour.
- A new Experion Series C innovative I/O form factor that makes wiring installation and maintenance easier, helps reduce energy costs and delivers maximum performance in minimum space;
- Enhanced procedural operations that help reduce shut-down and start-up incidents by capturing and implementing best work practices. Traditionally, this knowledge is only needed occasionally, so it's easily forgotten, or it's leaving companies with a transitioning workforce. According to an Abnormal Situation Management (ASM) Consortium study, an average $2.5 million per year can be avoided by managing operating procedures.