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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
Kinseed enables remote patient monitoring
Kinseed’s core purpose is ‘Connecting the Disconnected’ – whether that means people, information, or processes. Working with Great Ormond Street Hospital, Kinseed identified a major gap in accessing patient data. The monitoring of patients during transit to the hospital was predominantly manual and high-effort. A solution for real-time monitoring did not exist and handover processes were manual, slow and prone to error.Using a standard bedside monitor to track patients’ vital signs, Kinseed created an application to access and analyse this data in real-time, which consultants could access from their phones and tablets at Great Ormond Street Hospital or from wherever the specialist resided when providing care. The challenge for Kinseed was connectivity. The company needed a partner that could provide reliable and robust connectivity, ensuring that consultants were able to access critical patient data without issue.
Case Study
The Royal Victoria Hotel
The Royal Victoria’s 20-year-old Mitel system, with separate analogue voicemail system, needed to be replaced. The hotel required a modern communications solution that would:Connect the hotel's 160 employees.Provide call logging to help monitor business performance and control costs.Provide communications to mobile members of the team such as the night porters.Improve guest WiFi internet access.