Attitudes to wireless

Caution and enthusiasm emerge in near equal measure from the Process Engineering "Attitudes to Wireless" survey, which attracted responses from around 100 mainly high-level managers and engineers from across the process industries — representing a unique focus group on the likely development and adoption of wireless technology in the UK process sector.

While process operators seem well aware of the potential benefits of wireless, many see barriers on the road to wholesale adoption and investment in the technology.

Survey respondents expressed particular concerns about network security, skills requirements and the lack of standards for the technology, which is still relatively new for their industry. There were also many shades of opinion on these issues, suggesting that there will be no one-size-fits-all approach to introducing wireless into the process market.

There was clear support for the adoption of wireless, as indicated by the 67% of respondents who have installed and used a wireless installation in the last 18 months and the 51% who expect to see wireless technology projects implemented in the next 18 months. Against this, vendors may be concerned to see that an overwhelming 81% of respondents have no implementation strategy in place for wireless.

Cost savings showed up as by far the main attraction of adopting wireless systems. This trend, it seems, is currently being reinforced by the high cost of copper and wiring in general, as well as increasing pressure on the investment, time and skills required to establish new installations.

As one respondent commented, the cost saving potential of wireless is "particularly relevant when installations are required over long distances, such as 500 metres". This view was echoed by other respondents, who referred to "the expense involved in laying large cable runs" and "the potential for reducing the overall cost of instrumentation because of the need for less wiring."

With regard to projects in the pipeline, the ability to retrofit existing control systems with limited access, was cited as a key driver, though several respondents signalled an unwillingness to use wireless in control functions. Operators, meanwhile, are targeting a range of applications within the production environment, as well as logistics and inventory, tracking of assets and vehicles, remote measurement and tank level monitoring. (See table below)

The main barriers to the adoption of wireless are cyber security - cited by around 20% of respondents - as well as the relative newness and reliability of the technology, including worries over the risk of failures and their potential impact on process downtime. This general guardedness was summed up by Peter Hughes, power & control design office manager, Shell UK Ltd, who stated: "Wireless technology needs to be developed and tested a lot more for reliability."

Similarly, Barry Dixon, lead instrument engineer, Total Oil & Gas commented: "Barriers are the time taken for evaluation to gather data for functionality, reliability and operating cost, and the introduction of new technologies to managers who do not have the technical expertise."

For others, the absence of a single standard was the main concern. "We are waiting for ISA100 to be completed," said one respondent, who also cited concerns over network security from hackers.

This view was echoed by Gerry De Blick of Tyco Thermal Controls, who noted: "Wireless is not yet fully proven in use," while also pointing to potential security and EMC issues. He noted that the skills involved in implementing and applying wireless systems require cross-functional cooperation with IT, adding that, "many systems are difficult to troubleshoot with current staff."

Dave Anderson, site manager at chemical manufacturing company Biodeg Chemical Co, listed a "lack of trust" in current wireless technology and data security concerns as the main barriers to wireless implementation.

Other respondents were more concerned about the safety-critical nature of their particular operations, as exemplified by a senior project manager in the industrial gasses sector whose operation had "too many safety-critical loops to warrant a change in technology."

Interference from electrical signals was another issue for respondents. A research & development engineer in the injection moulding industry, cited "significant electromagnetic fields produced by the motor on the machines [as] likely to affect wireless signals."

Peter Kirkwood, principal engineer, C&I at BAe Systems Submarine Solutions, who described the enclosed, all-metal environment in the shipbuilding sector as a major barrier to wireless. The operation, he said also needs SIL2 functionality and marine certifications.

Given the awareness of the cost-saving potential of wireless, it was perhaps surprising to see concern over return on investment in installing wireless cited as a barrier by many respondents.

These concerns were perhaps best highlighted by Roman Strotz, managing director of food industry company CDD Ltd, part of Buhler AB, who said, "We investigated the potential of wireless applications for the milling industry. The current cost and the available sensors do not allow us to use them cost-effectively yet. We are closely monitoring the market to check when the time is ready for us."

Meanwhile, Strotz was one of just two respondents to cite battery life as a concern — again surprising, given the high profile of this issue.

Another respondent noted that the existing wired-infrastructure on his company's older plants meant that the present need for wireless is "minimal", especially for smaller installations. "There is no reason and value-added in replacing existing fibre optic and copper infrastructure," commented Arkadiusz Huber, manufacturing systems engineer at Delphi Diesel Systems, Stonehouse. His firm has a wireless network already, but it is not extensively in use across the manufacturing site, just by the office premises.

A mechanical and machinery engineer in the chemical production sector cited conservatism with regard to new technology as the main barrier to the adoption of wireless at his company. He also mentioned issues in relation to interaction with company IT systems, as well as battery life.

More generally, Nadine Evans, business and IT consultant at QBusiness, which specialises in manufacturing, logistics, local government and education, believes that there is a "lack of recognition of the value of the extended enterprise systems they [wireless systems] can provide."

Evans, who works with engineers across a wide range of companies, said: "I have also used wireless in stock picking/putting environments as well as parcel tracking. The last of these was a relatively easy sell - therefore, some people can see the benefits."


Projects in pipeline

List of up-coming wireless projects provided by respondents to the survey:

- Remote site monitoring/SCADA
- Remote PLC alarm annunciation via SMS
- Walkaround condition monitoring via wireless SCADA
- Transmission of signals from remote areas back to control rooms
- Monitoring of injection moulding machines from a central point
- Replacing batch cards linking directly into a management control system
- Measurement read out on machine alignment checks
- Equipment performance monitoring
- SPC on production lines and getting the information to the operators
- Thermal sensors, pressure sensors torque transducers, flow metering
- Centralised dust control and waste management for wood product / panel / furniture manufacture
- Plant condition monitoring, mainly temperature
- Oven temperature monitoring
- Process monitoring and valve diagnostics
- Remote control for pickling crane to save the operator standing near hot acid baths
- Condition monitoring
- Management System
- Monitoring instrumentation as a means of reducing installed cost for instrumentation
- Connecting laboratory analytical work stations and storing data as well as analysing chemical assay data and production of suitable reports.
- Bluetooth technology in pressure testing applications