The ISA Standards and Practices Board, the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute successfully deployed tested and approved ISA100.11a standard devices in a multi-vendor installation of the technology at an Arkema plant in Crosby, Texas. The objective of the installation is to demonstrate interoperability among multiple vendor devices using the ISA100.11a technology.
The system has been operating at Arkema since Sept., 19, 2009, 10 days after the ISA100.11a standard was ratified.
"It's a great opportunity to discover this new technology and understand what it can bring to our operations," notes Didier Auber, the Arkema Crosby Plant Manager. "With the standard ratified, multiple vendors supporting, and big industry players coming on board, the ISA100.11a standard is here to stay so we can develop and grow its use in our plant."
Suppliers participating in the Arkema site installation include Gastronics, Honeywell, Nivis, Wilson Mohr, Wireless Access Solutions (formally Gooch Engineering) and Yokogawa. Sensors from additional WCI supplier members will be added to the ISA100.11a network starting in October 2009 as part of the ongoing WCI facilitated Arkema user deployments.
There were numerous applications at the site for ISA100.11a standard including temperature, pressure, contact closure, valve positioning, gas detection, corrosion detection, and others. The entire site is currently covered by two backbone connections and sensor meshing. A white paper detailing the user deployment and early results is available for download from the WCI Web site at www.isa.org/isa100compliant.
