THE ADOPTION of edge technology-which involves processing data close to their source-poses cultural as well as technical challenges to chemical makers.However,the experiences of vendors such as GE Digital,Siemens and AspenTech show that operating companies can achieve multiple benefits if they fully understand the potential of the technology.“The value of sensor data is well understood but the outcomes often differ throughout the value chain,” says Steve Pavlosky,principal product manager,GE Digital’s Proficy historian and data at the edge program,San Ramon,Calif.For specialty chemical companies with a varied product mix,analyzing sensor data helps them improve product quality by looking at historical process trends and identifying optimal process conditions,he points out.In contrast,commodity/petrochemical manufacturers mainly rely on the data to monitor critical process equip-ment and detect equipment anomalies before they impact operations or safety.
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