Company News: Emerson Supports Process Manufacturing’s First Global Wireless Standard

Unanimous certification a major industry milestone; wireless control benefits plant operations and lowers costs

Published: Monday, April 12, 2010 - 12:23

(Emerson Process Management: Austin, TX) -- Emerson Process Management, a global business of Emerson, applauds the International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC) unanimous vote to certify WirelessHART technology as the first global standard for wireless communications for industrial process measurement and control.

The new standard was developed by major process automation suppliers, including Emerson, working within the nonprofit HART Communication Foundation. To be known now as IEC 62591—“Industrial communication networks—Wireless communication network and communication profiles —WirelessHART,” forecast to be released May 2010, the standard makes it easier for refineries, chemical plants, energy producers, and other process businesses to add wireless technologies to their operations, at substantially lower cost than traditional wired technology. It also provides customers with multivendor interoperability and protects their technology investment. The IEC is the world’s leading organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic, and related technologies.

“The commission’s endorsement of this standard confirms what Emerson and many others have known: this technology is a reliable, versatile, and economical tool for improving process operations and enabling a significant return on investment,” says Steve Sonnenberg, president of Emerson Process Management. “IEC 62591 compliant technology will have as great an impact in process plants as Wi-Fi has in offices.”

Emerson was the first to offer WirelessHART products and continues to lead the industry with a broad portfolio of devices using the technology. Likewise, many other suppliers are building broad support for IEC 62591 by developing products based on the standard.

Beyond typical process measurement and control applications, customers are increasingly using wireless products where wired measurements would be too expensive or impractical—such as monitoring temperatures in moving rail cars or wellhead pressures on remote offshore oil platforms—as well as applications such as corrosion and vibration detection which improve plant safety. To see real world customer examples, visit www.emersonsmartwireless.com.

“The adoption rate has been incredible,” says Sonnenberg. “Emerson customers are already using our WirelessHART products in more than 1,200 installations around the world. Having an international standard should accelerate this growth by assuring them of future compatibility, allowing them to begin gaining the benefits of this exciting new technology.”

IEC 62591 devices operate in state of the art, self-organizing wireless networks that automatically reroute communications to avoid obstacles or other interruptions. The standard is also based on the widely used HART communication protocol designed for the configuration and integration of devices into automation systems. This enables customers who wish to add WirelessHART products to existing systems the ability to take advantage of familiar tools and training.

Specifications for HART and WirelessHART are controlled by the HART Communication Foundation, an international, not-for-profit organization with more than 200 member companies that include major process automation manufacturers.

About The Author

Emerson Process Management

Emerson Process Management, an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing, and distribution in the oil and gas, refining, chemical, pulp and paper, power, water and wastewater treatment, mining and metals, food and beverage, life sciences, and other industries. The company combines superior products and technology with industry-specific engineering, consulting, project management, and maintenance services. Its brands include PlantWeb, Syncade, DeltaV, Fisher, Micro Motion, Rosemount, Daniel, Ovation, and AMS Suite.