Yokogawa Opens Technology Collaboration Center to Support Disruptive Innovation in Process Automation

HOUSTON, Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Yokogawa is pleased to announce the opening of the Open Process Automation (OPA) Test Bed Collaboration Center, located six miles north of ExxonMobil's Houston campus in The Woodlands, Texas. The opening of the center follows the announcement in July 2019 of Yokogawa's selection as ExxonMobil's OPA Test Bed system integrator. The technology center will house the Test Bed being used to evaluate candidate components and standards which will provide the basis for moving OPA technology into initial industrial field trials.

Today, end users in the energy and chemical industries must work with and integrate multiple proprietary systems in almost every process plant or facility. These systems include manufacturing execution systems (MES), distributed control systems (DCS), human-machine interfaces (HMI), programmable logic controllers (PLC) and inputs/outputs (I/O). These multiple proprietary systems, and the integration thereof, result in elevated capital costs on new projects and high total cost of ownership, especially in the operation and maintenance of such systems.

The Open Process Automation™ Forum (OPAF) is an international forum of end users, system integrators, suppliers, academia, and standards organizations who are working together to develop the specifications for open process control systems. OPAF's goal is to enable more open and modular systems that supports integration of best-in-class components. This architecture will provide both configuration and application portability across components from different suppliers, thereby reducing system capital cost and total cost of ownership.

Yokogawa is currently working on Stage 1 and 2 of the OPA Test Bed at the new center, which will result in an operational Test Bed ready for use by ExxonMobil and their collaboration partners in Stage 3.

"We are pleased to have the dedicated OPA Test Bed center located near our engineering campus and are looking forward to working there with Yokogawa and our collaboration partners," stated Brad Houk, OPA program manager, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering. "This is another milestone in our development and understanding of open systems technology for industrial control systems."

"We are looking forward to working with ExxonMobil, and their collaboration partners in the OPA Test Bed Collaboration Center," states Dave Emerson, vice president of Yokogawa's U.S Technology Center. "It is a privilege to be serving at the heart of these innovation efforts which could be an industry game-changer".

The Yokogawa OPA Test Bed Collaboration Center is located at 2407 Timberloch Suite D, The Woodlands, TX 77380. Further information about this new facility and other operations of Yokogawa Corporation of America can be found at: https://www.yokogawa.com/us/contact-b/#office-information

About Yokogawa
Founded in 1915, Yokogawa engages in broad-ranging activities in the areas of measurement, control, and information. The industrial automation business provides vital products, services, and solutions to a diverse range of process industries including oil, chemicals, natural gas, power, iron and steel, and pulp and paper. With the life innovation business, the company aims to radically improve productivity across the pharmaceutical and food industry value chains. The test & measurement, aviation, and other businesses continue to provide essential instruments and equipment with industry-leading precision and reliability. Yokogawa co-innovates with its customers through a global network of 113 companies spanning 60 countries, generating US$3.6 billion in sales in FY2018. For more information, please visit www.yokogawa.com.

About Yokogawa Corporation of America

Yokogawa Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Yokogawa Electric Corporation, partners and co-innovates with clients in the North American energy and chemicals industries to achieve optimum operability and competitiveness. Our expansive portfolio of state-of-the-art manufacturing, engineering and service solutions address current demands of clients' operations while our innovate-forward philosophy anticipates and solves for tomorrow's challenges. With a 60-year track record in North America delivering leading-edge measurement, control, and information solutions, the business is headquartered in Houston, TX and is supported by domestic manufacturing and service locations across the U.S, Canada, and Mexico.

The names of corporations, organizations, products, services and logos herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Yokogawa Electric Corporation or their respective holders.

Media Contact: Duncan Micklem, https://www.yokogawa.com/us/contact-b/#contact-us

SOURCE Yokogawa Corporation of America

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