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Process Control & Optimization
Overview
Process control and optimization (PCO) is the discipline of adjusting a process to maintain or optimize a specified set of parameters without violating process constraints. The PCO market is being driven by rising demand for energy-efficient production processes, safety and security concerns, and the development of IoT systems that can reliably predict process deviations. Fundamentally, there are three parameters that can be adjusted to affect optimal performance.
- Equipment optimization: The first step is to verify that the existing equipment is being used to its fullest advantage by examining operating data to identify equipment bottlenecks.
- Operating procedures: Operating procedures may vary widely from person-to-person or from shift-to-shift. Automation of the plant can help significantly. But automation will be of no help if the operators take control and run the plant in manual.
- Control optimization: In a typical processing plant, such as a chemical plant or oil refinery, there are hundreds or even thousands of control loops. Each control loop is responsible for controlling one part of the process, such as maintaining a temperature, level, or flow. If the control loop is not properly designed and tuned, the process runs below its optimum. The process will be more expensive to operate, and equipment will wear out prematurely. For each control loop to run optimally, identification of sensor, valve, and tuning problems is important. It has been well documented that over 35% of control loops typically have problems. The process of continuously monitoring and optimizing the entire plant is sometimes called performance supervision.
Applicable Industries
- Transportation
- Equipment & Machinery
- Chemicals
Applicable Functions
- Discrete Manufacturing
- Quality Assurance
Market Size
The advanced process control market is estimated to reach USD 1.4 billion by 2020; growing at a CAGR of 11.79% from 2014 to 2020.
Source: Markets and Markets
Case Studies.
Case Study
Honeywell Analytics Efficiency Improves with Eden
Honeywell Analytics established a customer service call centre which has ten call centre agents handling 1,500 calls per week.The agents were using a customer management software which was effective for capturing basic customer details, but inadequate for collating a service record for the customer's individual unit or linking to other company IT systems. An integrated system was needed to manage the process from initial customer call through to successful resolution such as the dispatch of a replacement or repaired product.
Case Study
OPNET and Ixia Solution Improves Network Application with Network Visibility
Networked applications, such as electronic medical record (EMR) or electronic health record (EHR), are vital for Cook Children’s to provide outstanding service to its patients and physicians. As its network grew in complexity, with data coming in from various wireless medical devices and wearables, as well as remote hosted applications, issues surfaced. The organization’s network manager identified a range of issues that included slow user experience, network monitoring challenges, and an inability to proactively identify application performance concerns.