INDUSTRY FOCUS Oil & Gas
Tablets for effi cient mobile access
in hazardous areas For one Korean petrochemical company, the rollout of a digital access management system was a crucial part of its digitisation strategy. By Hyeok Choi, PA Sales Manager at Pepperl+Fuchs Korea
S
outh Korea’s industry is going digital, supported by government incentives. For companies in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, the main challenge lies in adapting digital technologies to their specifi c requirements, especially for safety and ease of implementation. Devices have to be certifi ed for DZ1 and DZ2, and also off er reliable connectivity even in the remotest of areas, to name just some of the challenges. Furthermore, digital technologies should fi t seamlessly into existing infrastructures, without requiring a complete technological overhaul.
The SHE system
The development of a digital platform for the safety, health and environment (SHE) management system is at the core of the digitisation strategy of one petrochemical company in South Korea. Existing analogue processes are gradually being replaced with digital alternatives, to signifi cantly increase process effi ciency through faster and easier accessibility to relevant data and information. The security aspect of the SHE system includes managing access authorisations to the company’s petrochemical plants, not only for its own employees, but also for its suppliers and service providers. To date, the process was analogue: access authorisations were manually recorded on paper. In comparison, the new digital SHE platform enabled plant managers to receive external workers’ applications digitally, for approval in real time, regardless of their location.
The digitisation process required a
fl exible terminal that was not only certifi ed for hazardous areas, but also met the requirements of the digital platform and could easily be implemented, without disrupting the existent structures. Since mobile workers often fi nd themselves in remote areas without consistent Wi-Fi signal, LTE and 4G connectivity were also important.
The company chose tablets, which off er larger displays. Android was the preferred
40 November 2021 | Automation
operating system (OS), since it best harmonised with the proprietary digital platform. Other decisive factors included IT security, fast on-site support and over-the- air updates for system confi guration and software.
All these requirements were met by the intrinsically-safe Tab-Ex tablets by the Pepperl+Fuchs brand ECOM Instruments. Based on the Samsung Tab Active tablet and the Android OS, Tab-Ex reliably covers updates, confi guration and OEM support in a user-friendly way. Highest IT security standards are ensured by Samsung Knox – the most popular cybersecurity solution on the Korean market.
International support Another issue for companies is the implementation of mobile devices in diff erent countries. A rollout like this is possible when mobile devices support standard frequencies and nation-specifi c certifi cations. Companies must therefore make sure devices are provided with LTE frequency bands and are Simlock-free. For implementation in hazardous areas, suppliers should also provide global certifi cations to enable global deployment and rollouts. ECOM delivers devices with customer-specifi c pre-confi guration, and off ers staging, management and real-time monitoring as a service.
Efficient access management A total of 70 Tab-Ex tablets now support the digital workfl ows in the Korean company’s
petrochemical plants. All the data required for the authentication procedure is stored on the tablets. The site managers receive access requests digitally, in real time, on their own ECOM tablets, quickly processed, even remotely. All authorisation data and documents are saved centrally on the company’s digital platform. Tab-Ex also accompanies workers for the duration of their assignment and ensures their safety via mapping functions on the integrated software solution as well as the push-to-talk function (PTT), which off ers rapid communication even in case of an emergency.
Thanks to a modular concept, all
products can be combined individually and according to the requirements of the company. There are also diff erent options of digital products, from simple protection applications for lone workers to the all-inclusive and evaluating enterprise solution. Various interfaces and the cloud allow a combination of diff erent devices and software solutions. This not only signifi cantly speeds up the authentication process, but also ensures complete traceability of data and thus security within facilities. With the help of the new digital solution and ECOM’s tablets, plant managers not only save time but also 10% in costs.
CONTACT:
ECOM
www.ecom-ex.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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