Happy New Year 2010!

In this issue

• Trick
• Courses
• Articles
• Conferences
• Open House

Do the controls in this area perform?

Before analyzing the performance, it is more relevant to look at utilization and stability.

1-Utilization: Percentage of controllers in « service »

For each loop, we must determine:

Is the loop in the right mode? (automatic, cascade, supervision, …)

Is the loop manipulating the final element or in tracking?

Is the output saturated (at low or high limit)?

2-Stability: Percentage of loops which are stable

Among loops in service, we must determine:

Is the process variable near setpoint or far away?

Is the measurement stable after a disturbance or oscillating?

3-Performance: Percentage of loops fulfilling their objective

Among loops meeting preceding criteria, we must determine with operation personnel if the loop does what it has been designed for.

Software such Control Performance Monitor from Matrikon will present those values for any period.

Performance for an area is: Utilization x Stability x Performance. This is similar to OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness).

Optimization is a very good investment! Usually, within few weeks, money invested is recovered.

See in November and December issues of Control Magazine, an interview of Michel Ruel by Greg McMillan. See Control Talk :
«Show Me the Money», Control Magazine, December 2009

At Paptac, Montréal Qc, February 2-3 2010, two conferences by Top Control Inc.

Closed Loop Tuning vs Open Loop Tuning: Tuning all your Loops while the Process is Running is now Possible, M. RUEL, Top Control Inc.,

Recycling Session, Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Tracking Performance after Optimizing a Deinked Plant, M. RUEL, Top Control Inc.,

Matrikon Open House

Meet Matrikon and Top Control in Houston:

The open house is on Thursday, February 11, 2010 at the Marriott West Loop in the Galleria, Houston TX. The event will be open to participants from 1 - 6:00 pm.

Matrikon will be flying in key experts and Matrikon executives to meet you and talk about our technology and solutions. Matrikon Founder and CEO, Nizar J. Somji will be opening up the event and we will also have some of our customers share their experiences as part of the open house.