OPT FOR SECURITY AND PERFORMANCE
Improve the security and performance of your plant with alarm management, performance supervision, asset supervision, web-based data visualisation, optimisation, advanced control, and tuning with the new TaiJi tool.
Rethink your working methods and obtain immediate results thanks to our services, trainings, and consulting expertise. Manage changes intelligently with our proven solutions.
certified service providerServices
Our range of services includes optimisation and troubleshooting, development of advanced control strategies, installation and implementation of computerized tools for alarm management, performance supervision, and asset supervision, and loop tuning. We offer our services on-site or remotely.
Optimisation and Troubleshooting
The primary goal of optimisation is certainly to increase the performance of the process itself. A temperature or flow that maintains a given set point generates considerable benefits. Thanks to our interventions, improvements can be quick. Also, we choose the best controller parameters that allow you to control your process according to your objectives.
Tuning objectives:
- Tuning and performance criteria based on your process objectives
- Tuning to minimize:
- Production losses
- Costs
- Loop oscillations
- Overshoot
- Response time
- Tie-in with other loops
- Resonance phenomenon
- Etc.
- Tuning to maximize:
- Production
- Operation speed
- Response time to process changes
- Harmonization with other loops
- Stability
- Quality
- Etc.
When conventional PID control techniques do not suffice, we use modern tools to determine the best approaches that will allow you to reach the desired performance levels.
The use of sophisticated analytical tools allows us to quantify benefices before implementing advanced controls. No more trial and error! In no time you will know if you have attained optimal performance, or if modifications are necessary.
Click here to learn more about our expertise in optimisation.
Advanced Control
Advanced control can take many forms. When process models are known but simple control strategies are insufficient, it is possible to develop elaborated strategies in the plant system (DCS or PLC).
These advanced regulatory strategies include:
- Cascade control
- Feedforward
- Ratio control
- Override control
- Constraint
- Adaptive structure
- Etc.
If advanced regulatory strategies do not allow us to reach the desired performance objectives, we use advanced control, which can be classified into two main categories:
Click here to learn more about our expertise in advanced control.
Alarm Management and Rationalization
An underperforming alarm system reduces operators' efficiency and plant security and profitability. Inefficiencies are often caused by wrong configurations or inappropriate thresholds.
Using an alarm management software tool and our expertise can allow you to:
- Eliminate all noxious alarms and reduce operators' stress
- Prioritise alarms to improve process control and plant security
- Minimise alarm overload to prevent incident escalation
- Prepare your plant for new insurance regulations and security procedures
- Use technology to manage alarms in an easy and sustainable way
Click here to learn more about our expertise in alarm management.
Installation of Computerized Tools
Top Control can install computerized tools for:
- Alarm management
- Performance supervision and equipment supervision
- Process optimisation
- Advanced control
- Data visualization
- Tool installation and configuration
- Training of personnel (system administrators, users)
- Follow-up
Performance Supervision
We can sell, install, and start up software tools for performance supervision, or install these tools temporarily for an intervention of limited duration.
- Software installation
- Establishment of communication with DCS
- Data configuration
- Training of personnel (system administrators, users)
- Selection of thresholds and limits
- Adequate installation of Control Performance Monitor
- Thresholds and limits have a better sensitivity to process changes, without generating new alarms
- Prioritized data allow plant personnel to take smart decisions
- The infrastructure of Control Performance Monitor is maintained by the system administrator
- Control performance supervision, process performance supervision
- Detection of non-performing valves
- Detection of process changes
- Identification of sources of variability
- Variability management
- Optimal use of resources
- Identification of sectors where optimisation is the most advantageous
- Problem solving before shut downs, according to specifications
- Reduction of maintenance costs
- Increase of production time
Click here to learn more about our expertise in performance supervision.
Asset and Equipment Supervision
We can sell, install, and start up software tools for asset and equipment supervision, or install these tools temporarily for an intervention of limited duration.
Installation services include:
- Software installation
- Establishment of communication with DCS
- Data configuration
- Training of personnel (system administrators, users)
- Selection of thresholds and limits
- Adequate installation of Control Performance Monitor and/or Equipment Condition Monitor
- Thresholds and limits have a better sensitivity to process changes, without generating new alarms
- Prioritized data allow plant personnel to take smart decisions
- The infrastructure of Control Performance Monitor and/or Equipment Condition Monitor is maintained by the system administrator
- Equipment performance supervision, process performance supervision
- Detection of non-performing valves
- Detection of process changes
- Identification of sources of variability
- Prediction of breakdowns
- Optimal use of resources
- Reduction of shutdowns and breakdowns
- Problem solving before shut downs, according to specifications
- Reduction of maintenance costs
- Increase of up-time
Loop Tuning
Loop Tuning Services include:
- Validation of control strategies
- Evaluation of controller installation and configuration
- Evaluation of control valve and actuator
- Stiction
- Hysteresis, dead band, backlash
- Valve adjustment
- Positionner tuning and configuration
- Linearity, characterisation
- Valve performance
- Optimal tuning of controller
- Improvement of control strategies
- Evaluation of control needs
- Coordination of tuning of interacting loops
- Sizing of filters
- Improvement of process performance and better use of equipment
- Reduction of energy costs
- Improvement of product quality
- Reduction of variability (generally cut in half)
- Reduction of valve maintenance costs
- Reduction of valve movements (generally cut by five)
- Increase of up-time
During a typical plant visit, Top Control will optimize six to eight control loops per day, using TaiJi.
On-Site and Remote Services
In addition to on-site services, we can provide remote services. Using secured access via internet, we can do optimization, supervision, and troubleshooting, or simply support your team. Some of our clients use our remote services on a regulatory basis, for example three hours per week, or one day per month.
