Yokogawa's new plant resource manager version improves maintenance efficiency

Yokogawa Electric Corp. is set to release version R3.31 of its Plant Resource Manager (PRM) software tool for the centralised management of large amounts of data from plant monitoring and control devices as well as manufacturing equipment.

Manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to improve maintenance efficiency by using software tools like PRM and there is a constant need to quickly identify device failures that can interfere with the safe operation of plants.

PRM R3.31, an upgrade to R3.30, includes a new function that enables PRM to link with a computerised maintenance management system and a new data display function that enables field maintenance personnel to access data that is useful for locating and responding to device failures.

The latest PRM version enables seamless management of the process of detecting and responding to device failures by linking the software to a computerised maintenance management system that is used to draw up maintenance plans and manage the progress of maintenance tasks.

Upon detection of a device failure, PRM issues an instruction to the management system to draw up a task plan and begin the process of managing the progress of task execution.

A symbol (maintenance mark) is displayed over the device icon in the device navigator window that communicates the current state of the task being managed by system.

With this new PRM version, field maintenance personnel can also access key performance indicator (KPI) reports on device availability and other indices that until now have been mainly available for use by management.

Field asset KPI reports contain data about the availability of instruments, the number of instruments that are in an abnormal state, warning status, other states, and the number of alarms and events and their ranking.

The KPI availability facilitates the identification of failure causes so that appropriate countermeasures can be taken.

The PRM software is aimed at fluid processing industries such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, pulp and paper, electric power, and wastewater treatment.