What is a Distributed Control System?

By Control Guru | April 24, 2018

In a recent blog post we paid tribute to Dick Morley and his pivotal contribution to the process automation industry: the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). Since the PLC and Distributed Control System (DCS) are both instrumental in controlling complex production processes, people occasionally use the two terms interchangeably. While the two are related, their applications are notably different.

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Dick Morley and the Story of the PLC

By Control Guru | February 15, 2018

It’s been a few months since Dick Morley passed away. While a younger generation of engineers may be unfamiliar with Morley’s work, those that work in production environments are most certainly beneficiaries of his invention of the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)…

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What Value is Hidden in a Plant’s Process Data

By Control Guru | April 6, 2017

While a typical Distributed Control System (DCS) keeps a watchful eye on production and scheduling there are other important details that a DCS simply overlooks. To be clear, a DCS consumes process data in order to measure and regulate the flow of material through a plant. It interprets sensor data and orchestrates adjustments to Final Control Elements in order to maintain Set Points.

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The Power of the FOPDT Model

By Control Guru | January 31, 2017

If you’re a parent, then chances are you’ve encountered this dilemma: It’s the day after your son or daughter’s birthday and you’re now faced with the job of assembling gifts provided by friends and family. You can either ‘wing it’ with the hope of constructing each toy quickly or you can hunker down and follow the manufacturer’s step-by-step instructions. While ignoring the instructions and following your intuition seems like the faster option, most experienced parents know that those instructions represent a speedier solution which ultimately results in a happier child.

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What Options Exist for Tuning Emerson DeltaV Controllers?

By Control Guru | December 22, 2016

Emerson’s DeltaV distributed control system (DCS) dominates much of North America’s process manufacturing market and beyond. For good reason engineers routinely rank it among the top supervisory control platforms globally. And while DeltaV has proven its capabilities as a comprehensive DCS platform other technologies have extended its overall application value in industrial arenas ranging from basic materials and chemicals to power and paper. It’s no surprise that some of those technologies come from innovative third parties.

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Using Percent Time in Normal to Uncover Tuning Issues

By dennisnash | January 27, 2016

Even Simple Metrics Such as Percent Time in Normal Reveal Issues that Negatively Affect Performance and Signal the Need for Controller Tuning

It’s easy to get tripped up if a shoelace is untied. Just ask any child. While that’s a lesson most learn early in their lives each of us can occasionally slip up and find ourselves at risk.

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