Honeywell Completes Remote Control System Migration for Hungarian Pharma Manufacturer

Honeywell announced on Dec. 3, 2020 that it successfully completed a remote control system migration for Richter Gedeon, a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. The project was the first of its kind to enable plant operators to deploy advanced remote solutions to eliminate control technology obsolescence, enhance operations and improve business results, Honeywell stated in a company press release.

The migration project, which was deployed at Richter’s production facility in Dorog, northwest of Budapest, involved updating a Honeywell Experion PKS R431.5 control system to the latest R511.3 release. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Honeywell service team executed the migration tasks using limited resources allowed on site and completed the work during strict schedule constraints associated with a plant shutdown.

Because of the pandemic, industrial companies are seeking ways to minimize their on-site presence while keeping equipment up-to-date and with minimum downtime. A failure to address outdated plant automation systems could lead to crucial assets being rendered inoperable. Organizations with a solid roadmap for ongoing technology upgrades can mitigate risks and drive plant operations seamlessly without unnecessary disruptions, Honeywell stated in its press release.

With the Remote Migration Services, Honeywell experts can perform control and safety system upgrades on a 24/7 schedule. This type of migration is performed in-house on Honeywell’s Virtual Data Center, which can be accessed remotely by technical support specialists along with local Honeywell staff and Richter’s on-site personnel. This access enables the fastest migration possible. The service includes migration readiness, software migration, offsite or remote acceptance testing, and production system upgrading. Honeywell specialists perform the software migration and then invite the end user to test the new Experion software release prior to introducing it into their production system.

Honeywell’s remote migration solution can improve project execution cycle time by as much as 50% and increase migration productivity by at least 60%, the company reported in its press release. Honeywell also offers enhanced industrial cybersecurity capabilities and control technology improvements to achieve optimum results.

“As a manufacturer of innovation-driven specialty pharmaceutical products, we believe there are significant benefits in proactively addressing the risks and issues of control technology obsolescence,” said Csaba Ódor, deputy head of the investment department for Richter Gedeon, in the press release. “Honeywell’s Remote Migration Services will help us reduce total cost of ownership, increase production rates, extend the life and performance of their systems, and improve response to changing business demands.”

“Honeywell’s strategy for remote control system migration is well-suited to the current business situation. By executing migration projects remotely, plant operators can reduce potential risk, minimize operational downtime, and make migration an advantageous experience rather than a burdensome requirement,” said Pramesh Maheshwari, vice-president and general manager, Lifecycle Services and Solutions, Honeywell Process Solutions, in the press release. “Beyond traditional on-process migration, the latest technology advancements allow system modernization to be performed on the cloud—just like a simple update. Industrial facilities can leverage value-added support on a remote basis with limited risks to their personnel or other assets.”

Source: Honeywell