Emerson Global Users Exchange ’17: ‘Powering collaboration: For users, by users’
Bob Andrew, Technical Editor
Rob Sentz, chairman of EGUE, opened the 2017 Emerson Global Users Exchange focusing on improvements being made for users to get more out of the week-long event, which will have a parallel EMEA event March 2018 in the Hague. Emerson is expanding networking opportunities by adding early morning yoga and fun runs.
The popular “Meet The Expert” sessions later in the week will have no concurrent workshops scheduled against them. The mobile app for IOS and android now features global search, interactive exhibit floor map and “find an exhibitor” functionality. Topics chosen for industry forums and technology roundtables were chosen based on feedback from the 2016 event. Twenty-seven educational courses are being offered during the conference, which qualify for continuing education unit credit. Some are being offered nearby at the Rosemount Interactive Plant Environment site in Shakopee, MN. Special events offered include a “women as leaders and innovators” luncheon Tuesday, a “music jam” Tuesday night, an awards recognition lunch Thursday and an Oktoberfest themed event at the nearby US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The growing “Emerson Exchange 365” community will also have EGUE’17 presentations added later.
Mike Train, executive president of Emerson Automation Solutions, led with sobering statistics on megaprojects that are over budget but don’t meet schedule. The top quartile show 50% savings in both cost and delivery time over the bottom quartile. The Emerson project certainty suite offers reduction in incidents, higher availability, lower emissions and lower operating costs. Their PlantWeb platform offers connected services with SaaS, monitoring, insight and advisory applications, cybersecurity and pervasive sensing. Their wireless offerings have their 10th anniversary this month with more than 32,000 wireless networks operating globally.
Terry Buzbee, Emerson Automation Solutions group president for “Final Control,” presented the muscle of control and isolation elements. Their portfolio offering of valves and actuators has broadened with the acquisition of Pentair. Valve/actuator assembly designed is being simplified with 50% fewer parts on the new designs. New RFID tags now allow field device identification from 30 ft away. Advances in additive manufacturing are revolutionizing the ability to create geometries at less cost, in some cases geometries that were not possible to make with casting and machining.
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