A clearer overview of the plant lineup
This project story revisits an earlier MobaTAGnology implementation at Shell Pernis. Shell wanted control-room operators to see the lineup of manually operated field devices, including whether hand valves had been recorded as open or closed. A better audit trail for position changes was also part of the objective.
The solution brings position information entered by field operators into an overview panel provided in Mobatec Modeller. The panel uses conditional formatting to show the routing based on the recorded valve positions.
From a control-room instruction to a field record
A lineup starts with a command from the control room. The field operator goes to the specified hand valve and scans its near-field communication (NFC) tag using an ATEX phone.
The phone displays the last recorded valve position and identifies the person who made the previous change. The operator can consult this information at the valve before carrying out the requested operation.
The operator then physically opens or closes the valve and records the new position by pressing the corresponding buttons on the phone.
The displayed status reflects the operator’s last recorded update.
Immediate updates in the control room
After the field operator records the change, the control room receives the update immediately. The MobaTAGnology application does not require plant Wi-Fi for this workflow.
The overview in Mobatec Modeller uses conditional formatting to present the routing associated with the recorded positions.
Position records and traceability
Shell’s request for a better audit trail sits alongside the need for lineup visibility. Identifying the person associated with the previous change gives the field operator context for the valve’s latest recorded position.
The Shell Pernis application combines field recording in MobaTAGnology with a tailored control-room overview in Mobatec Modeller.
To discuss hand-valve position monitoring or lineup visibility at your site, contact the Mobatec team.
