The plant's achievements included reducing maintenance costs by 10% and detecting device failures that might otherwise have led to unplanned shutdowns costing as much as 2.2 million Euros in lost production. "With HART, we have been shifting from time-based maintenance to condition-based maintenance," reported Takayuki Aoyama, instrumentation group team leader at the Kashima plant. "We have also been able to predict and prevent potential problems by monitoring advanced diagnostic information from field devices, such as the statistical process monitoring (SPM) capabilities of Emerson's Rosemount 3051S transmitter."

Takayuki presented examples of these capabilities at the 2009 Emerson Global Users Exchange conference in Orlando, Florida, USA, describing how his team used advanced diagnostics to solve problems ranging from plugged impulse lines to entrained air in a pump intake. He also outlined HART benefits in a video available at: www.emersonprocess.com/videos/Experts_Customers.asp

Other HART-enabled products in use at the award-winning plant include Emerson's Rosemount radar level and vortex flow instruments, Micro Motion Coriolis meters, Fisher digital valve controllers, and AMS Suite predictive maintenance software. "Because HART-based diagnostics can be used with existing assets, the initial investment was relatively small," said Takayuki. "We have quickly realised the benefits from the technology and will replace older devices with HART technology whenever we can.

The HART Plant of the Year award is presented by the HART Communication Foundation to end-user companies who have demonstrated creativity in using the full capabilities of HART technology.