Enhancing Alarm Management Excellence at SRF Dahej using X-Force Alarm Information Management System

SSM Infotech Pvt. Ltd.
3 days ago
3 min read

Introduction

SRF Limited is one of India’s leading multi-business chemical manufacturing companies, with global operations spanning specialty chemicals, fluorochemicals, packaging films, and technical textiles. The organization is known for:

Advanced chemical manufacturing capabilities
High-safety operational standards
Continuous process plants with critical monitoring requirements
Strong focus on digitalization and operational excellence

The Dahej manufacturing complex is among SRF’s key production facilities, operating multiple process units requiring reliable alarm monitoring, analysis, and operator awareness systems to maintain safe and efficient plant operations.

As production complexity increased, SRF aimed to strengthen alarm visibility, reporting, and performance monitoring aligned with global best practices such as EEMUA-191, ISA-18.2 alarm management guidelines.

Business Challenge

At SRF Dahej, plant operations generated many alarms across multiple process areas. The existing setup presented several operational challenges:

Lack of centralized alarm performance monitoring
Limited analytical visibility into alarm trends and operator response
Difficulty identifying nuisance and chattering alarms
Manual effort required for alarm reporting and analysis
Critical alarms not clearly visible across the control room environment
Need for standardized alarm KPIs aligned with EEMUA-191 recommendations

Additionally, SRF required a standalone solution capable of operating independently while supporting multiple connectivity options with plant systems.

Project Objectives

SRF defined clear objectives for improving alarm management:

Implement a centralized Alarm Information Management System
Improve alarm visibility and operator awareness
Automate alarm reporting and performance tracking
Enable EEMUA-191, ISA-18.2 compliant alarm analytics
Provide real-time annunciation for critical alarms
Reduce alarm flooding and nuisance alarms

Solution Provided — X-Force AIMS

SSM Infotech implemented the X-Force Alarm Information Management System across SRF Dahej plants, designed as a scalable and standalone industrial alarm analytics platform.

System Architecture

Standalone AIMS deployment
Connectivity via:
- OPC A&E
- Ethernet / Serial Printer Port
- ODBC Interface
Multi-channel architecture for different plant areas
Dedicated AIMS server system
Improve operational safety and decision-making

Alarm Analytics & Reporting

The system automatically generates EEMUA-191 aligned reports delivered via Excel email notifications.

FCB Area P1 Plant Reports (12 Reports)

Daily Alarm Report
KPI Alarm Report
Chattering Alarm Analysis
Alarm Frequency Summary
Alarm History Report
Weekly Frequency Summary
Monthly Alarm Count
Chlorine Area Alarm Report
Detector Alarm Report
Utility Area Alarm Report
Hydro Area Alarm Report
Photo Section Alarm Report

Advanced Features Implemented

Email Notification System
Web Client Access
Voice Call Alerting

Alarm KPI Monitoring Annunciation & LVS Solution

Multi-Channel Connectivity
LVS (Large Video Screen) Integration

A Large Video Screen (LVS) annunciation system was deployed inside the control room to enhance situational awareness.

Key Functionalities:

Critical alarms automatically displayed on control room screen
Top 5 critical alarms shown prominently
Remaining alarms displayed in rotating view
Audio wave file triggered during critical alarms
Visual + audio notification for operators
Automatic removal after acknowledgment
Silent / acknowledge control functionality

This ensured operators immediately recognized high-priority events.

Business Benefits Achieved

After implementation, SRF realized significant operational improvements:

Operational Excellence

Centralized alarm visibility across plant areas
Faster operator response to critical situations
Improved process monitoring

Alarm Performance Optimization

Identification of nuisance and chattering alarms
Reduction in alarm flooding
Improved alarm rationalization initiatives

Automation & Productivity

Automated report generation and email distribution
Reduced manual analysis effort
Standardized reporting framework

Safety Enhancement

Real-time critical alarm annunciation
Improved control room awareness
Reduced risk of missed alarms

Compliance & Best Practices

Alignment with EEMUA-191 and ISA -18.2 alarm management standards
KPI-driven performance monitoring

Project Summary

The deployment of X-Force Alarm Information Management System (AIMS) at SRF Dahej successfully transformed alarm handling from reactive monitoring to data-driven alarm management.

By combining advanced analytics, automated reporting, and real-time annunciation through LVS, SRF achieved:

Improved operational safety
Better alarm discipline
Enhanced operator effectiveness
Digital transformation of alarm management practices

The project demonstrates how modern alarm analytics solutions like X-Force AIMS enable chemical manufacturing facilities to achieve higher reliability, safety, and operational excellence.