Industrial Automation Magazine India

Alarm Master Database (Exaquantum/AMD)

Published on : Tuesday 30-11--0001

Alarm management packages can struggle to meet the needs of a full alarm lifecycle. In particular, users often conduct their Alarm Objective Analysis (AOA) process on a greenfield site well before the control system configuration has begun.

Typically many specialists are involved during the AOA process, both internal and external consultants such as Yokogawa VPS engineers. This is the key period when a large amount of information is created but, due to the lack of tools, much of this information is lost or buried in different documentation stores.

AMD fully supports the Management of Change (MOC) process by providing a number of features to store information into a centralized location and reduce the effort required to conduct each MOC cycle.

The Problem

Poor alarm management is one of the leading causes of downtime and has contributed to some of the worst recorded industrial accidents.

Changes to alarm limits through lack of alarm management can potentially lead to safety failures, lost production and equipment damage. Engineering time can also be lost due to poor or incorrect record keeping.

The Solution

Exaquantum/AMD (hereafter known as 'AMD') is Yokogawa's Master Alarm Database solution. Based on ANSI/ISA-18.2-2009 and EEMUA 191, AMD assists managers and supervisors in monitoring, assessing and auditing the behaviour of alarm setpoints as part of an alarm documentation and rationalization program.

Benefits

• Standardizes Alarm configurations to reduce errors
• Improves employee efficiency by providing web access to information held in one central database
• Confidence is enhanced by ensuring all changes are correct and consistent
• Regulatory compliance is supported by the availability of a detailed audit trail
• Low engineering configuration time required due to the ability to import the configuration from files, DCS(s), CAMS for HIS(s) and other systems
• Lower insurance premiums

Features

• Supports the ISA-18.2 Alarm Rationalization objectives for Management of Change
• Management of Change through version control and audit history
• Notification of alarm setpoint changes to ensure approved setpoint values are enforced
• Multiple valid alarm setpoints cater for mode changes
• Storage and versioning of important alarm design and philosophy documents
• Remote management of DCS setpoints and CAMS alarm attributes
• Reports differences in configuration between Exaquantum/ AMD, DCS and CAMS
• Quickly provide filtered alarm lists based on search criteria such as the rationalization status or alarm priority
• Import and export of configurations enabling integration between disparate systems
• Centralized repository to record all stakeholder requests and comments as an input to the Management of Change process
• Custom alarm attributes cater for numerous system configurations
•  Process setpoints are supported

It is used in Oil And Gas, Chemical Industries.

Yokogawa India Ltd.

Tel: 022 2839 3719

Email: [email protected]