Making Smart Process Control a Reality

Abhrasnata Das

With process control being a critical enabler of the manufacturing plant, companies now continue to look for innovative methods to improve efficiency, increase reliability, minimise risk and reduce cost.

Today, process industry sites are focused on optimising operations through enhanced field device functionality. This includes making better use of intelligence from smart instruments. Key priorities include integration addressing the typical work flow isolation of the control system from the transmitter thus improving the user experience, and the use of smarter devices for sharing of valuable digital data amongst stakeholders.

In developing countries, implementation of process automation has been imperative to enable mass production. The pharmaceutical, chemical, power generation, and petrochemical are of the critical industries that are increasingly implementing process automation in their operation site.

In this article we bring three of the most critical innovations that will transform the overall scenario of process control, helping the industries to actualize an enhanced and safe tomorrow.

MEMS Sensors

The application of the industrial robots can particularly benefit from MEMS technology since it can be used for tactile, navigational, or proximity sensors.

However, owing to the poor economic viability of MEMS technology and the industrial entrenchment of some non-MEMS proximity sensing technologies, in the past research into the adaptation of MEMS technology for the manufacture of proximity or position sensors has been constrained.

This situation is now developing at a much faster pace. Today, MEMS technology enables the creation of low-cost touch sensors, which can allow a robot to acquire sensory data in order to make decisions and carry out activities in a more flexible, autonomous manner.

The trend of miniaturisation has led to opportunities for use of multi sensors in applications such as robotics, manufacturing processes, process control, as well as biotechnology and life sciences.

Multisensors enhance the ability to measure multi-parameters precisely and reliably. A key example is the NASA-developed high-temperature gas sensor array also called the electronic nose.

Bosch’s MEMS sensor BME688, is another MEMS sensor that is first of its type. This sensor combines gas, humidity, temperature and barometric pressure sensing with innovative artificial intelligence to replicate the action of the human nose.

SCADA systems Enabling Data Structuring

Modern SCADA systems support industry standards and specifically data structuring and information modelling inclusive of multiple vendor interoperability and device independence. Most importantly, it is possible to swap devices from different vendors when all support the same device standards. New systems have increased life since these have both hardware and software devices that have a greater ability to gather real-time information for assessing performance and maintenance information.

Since today’s SCADA systems also capture more data intelligence, there is significant improvement of systems maintenance. These new systems also support best-of-breed choices made by end users rather than being tied into existing proprietary systems and have the ability for remote operations and remote monitoring.

Increasing Implementation of PAC and PLC

Traditionally, PACs (programmable automation controllers) managed factories or production lines, while PLCs (programmable logic controllers) handled equipment control. PLCs employed proprietary programmes, whereas PACs offered greater standardisation, openness, modularity, and communication protocols in the past. These distinctions are hazy now. A large variety of controllers that adhere to standards like IEC 61131, offer openness and adaptability, and employ well-liked communication protocols are readily available to OEMs and plant operators.

“PLCs today are used in such a variety of automation applications from automating processes, just simple machine functions and even entire production lines. When it comes to programming, all the programming languages now are standardised,” says Andrew Cortese, product manager, factory automation at Siemens Canada.
For example – Emerson’s next generation PAC solution offers a single, scalable solution to deliver safe, secure communication between real-time deterministic controls and non-deterministic applications to analyse and optimise your operations, maximising productivity and minimising downtime.

Connecting the Dots

With numerous cutting edge- technologies on the line, in the coming days the total ecosystem of process control is expected to be much smarter, and advanced than what it is now. According to a report by McKinsey, optimising advanced process controls will create significant value for critical industrial processes. Maximising that value requires a comprehensive approach across people, processes, and technologies.

Collaborating with APC vendors to identify, calibrate, and tune the crucial underlying BLCs and sensors can be an initial no-regrets move. Further optimization initiatives should be prioritised based on impact and feasibility. With a comprehensive approach based on advanced analytics, companies can now optimise their APCs in a repeatable, time-efficient, and systematic manner, capturing significant improvements in throughput, recovery, and energy savings, adds the report.