April 2007

In this issue

	Articles
	Classes
	Trick of the month: Preliminaries for an Advanced Control Project
	To contact us

Articles

See on our web site, many articles available for download.
To learn more...

Upcoming Classes And Seminars

Seminar on Advanced Tools in Process Control
April 24-26, Houston, TX

PlantTriage - Performance Supervision And Process Control Optimization
May 1-3, Hartland, WI and
September 18-20, Hartland, WI

Analytical Methods For Troubleshooting And Control Loop Tuning
May 8-10, Sault Ste-Marie, ON

Detailed Loop Analysis With ExperTune
May 14-16, Houston, TX

ExperTune Advanced Tools
May 16-18, Houston, TX

PID Loop Tuning
June 5, Portland, ME

Introduction to Instrumentation and Process Control, Process Control Basics for Non-Specialists
June 6-7, Portland, ME

See our 2007 courses calendar

This Month's Tip : Preliminaries for an Advanced Control Project

When it has been decided to implement an advanced control project (see Top News - March 2007) , the following elements must be considered:

• objectives and constraints for operation, production and maintenance;
• optimization of the actual systems and benchmarking of the process;
• steps and milestones;
• involved personal;
• network level at which the new system will be installed;
• tools, toolboxes;
• expected benefits, measurement, and evaluation;
• training, supervision, and maintenance.

Objectives and Constraints

It is essential to determine goals and limits with operation and production people. All departments should be involved.

It is also crucial to gain a complete understanding of the process.

Performance Measurement

Before adding new control systems, the optimization of the actual equipments should be done, i.e., actions should be taken to ensure equipments work at their maximum potential. Many studies demonstrate that over 50% of the gains obtained after the implementation of an advanced control project result from the optimization of the actual equipments.

Once the performance has been evaluated accurately, any improvement resulting of the advanced control system will be measured using the defined methodology.

Project Stages

Best practices suggest to structure the project with milestones for each stage, and to define roles and responsibilities carefully.

Key elements of the project include:

• roles and responsibilities definition;
• team structure;
• benchmarking;
• planning of stages and phases;
• modeling and validation;
• system design;
• system implementation;
• start-up;
• tuning and optimization;
• training of operators (their role is likely to change dramatically);
• training of engineering and maintenance people;
• follow-up and maintenance;
• performance monitoring.

Next month, other considerations will be discussed:

• involved personal;
• network level at which the new system will be installed;
• tools, toolboxes;
• expected benefits, measurement, and evaluation;
• training, supervision, and maintenance.

At Top Control, we can:

• Help you select the best approach for your plant;
• Optimize your regulatory control system before implementing an advanced control system;
• Develop these advanced control strategies in your system or implement special advanced control packages;
• Train your personal (design, maintenance, operation);
• Support your team to help you make the right decision and even be part of your team.

To Contact Us

	Lévis' office	+1 (418)834-4321
	Pointe-Claire's office	+1 (514)695-3492
	Hartland's office	(877)867-6473
	Toll free	(877)867-6473
	Email	info@topcontrol.com