HPE and Texmark Chemicals Create a Refinery of the Future with the Internet of Things

[AudreyCox]

There are plenty of stories about information technology solutions involving large enterprises. But what about a small chemical plant with pumps, tubes, pipes, and data all under the control of one lone contract IT specialist? From energy to manufacturing to healthcare to smarter cities, the Internet of Things (IoT) is dramatically changing the way many industries do business. But when it comes to chemical manufacturing, many of today's plants are still working with yesterday's technologies, using outdated communication technologies and protocols.

Why? It's not necessarily because these companies are unable to keep up with advances in technology. It has more to do with the harsh environment, which requires specially adapted equipment for technologies such as Wi-Fi. But a solution is at hand.

Texas manufacturer Texmark Chemicals is a crucial link in the petroleum product supply chain, and because it works with regulated hazardous materials, safety is a top priority. So it turned to HPE and Aruba to build a Refinery of the Future featuring advanced IIoT capabilities. The results: better process analytics, increased uptime, uninterrupted productivity, satisfied customers, and safer workers.

Hand in hand with HPE on the IIoT journey

Designed to meet the specific demands of the oil and gas and manufacturing markets HPE’s IIoT architecture supports edge analytics for real-time, actionable manufacturing and process insights, and is bundled with services from HPE Pointnext and HPE partners to accelerate time-to-value.

Texmark is undertaking a three-phase IIoT journey, combining HPE and Aruba solutions with services from HPE Pointnext and HPE partners to create an industry-leading Refinery of the Future. Texmark launched a multi-phase project to implement an end-to-end IIoT solution. It selected HPE and Aruba to support the project with technology, expertise, and HPE’s extensive ecosystem of partners.

Phase 1 and 2 established the digital foundation by enabling edge-to-core connectivity. Aruba deployed a secure wireless mesh network with Class 1 Div 1 access points and ClearPass for secure network access control. Aruba beacons provide location-based services for plant safety and security purposes. The wireless solution cost about half of what it would have cost to deploy a hardwired network.

For its edge analytics, Texmark selected the HPE Edgeline Converged IoT platform, an industrialized solution that supports robust compute capabilities. HPE Pointnext implemented the system as an HPE Micro Datacenter, which integrates it's compute and networking technology within a single cabinet. HPE also upgraded Texmark’s plant control room to enable seamless edge-to-core connectivity and high-speed data capture and analytics, and to meet Texmark’s safety and security standards. The Edgeline system runs Texmark’s Distributed Control System software, integrating its operations technology and IT into a single system. Phase 3 builds on the foundation established by these technology solutions to support Texmark’s use cases: predictive analytics, advanced video analytics, safety and security, connected worker, and full lifecycle asset management.

HPE is now engaged with Texmark to implement a series of Internet of Things-related projects. These include integrating sensor capability with video and connecting workers through location-based augmented reality.

Learn More about HPE’s OEM Program

Visit the HPE OEM Program page at hpe.com 

The HPE OEM hpe.com page showcases the quality, experience, and pedigree of the HPE OEM program and why our customers are choosing HPE. Visit the new site today!

Follow the HPE OEM Solutions Group on LinkedIn

Join in the conversation on LinkedIn.

Or Contact an OEM Expert for further information.