No More Downtime: Top 5 Loop Metrics for Avoiding Mechanical Failures

With an eye on uptime manufacturers are now investing in solutions that analyze the performance of their regulatory control systems. The control loop remains a building block for manufacturers across the process industries and it is intimately connected to innumerable production assets. Data from the common control loop offers a wealth of information and insight into mechanical issues. Still, knowing how to use that data effectively often presents a challenge.

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What is Process Simulation? How Does Process Simulation Help With Optimization?

Imagine it’s your first time flying in an airplane and the pilot casually asks you to take the control wheel during landing. While that scenario might make a blockbuster movie script, it’s not a practical recipe for success in industry. In fact, it’s a recipe for disaster which is why many manufacturers rely on process simulation tools to both train their staff and optimize their production processes.

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The Pros and Cons of Cascade Control

As shared previously Cascade Control is an advanced application of Single Loop Control. Through the use of a secondary and faster PID control loop, practitioners can improve a given process’ ability to correct for known disturbances. Although it is considered an advanced strategy, Cascade Control is commonly used across the process industries.

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When Profits Are Hidden in Plain Sight

If you drive a car, then you probably benefit from McGard’s products.  Their proprietary lug nuts keep automobile tires where they belong – on your car.  In fact, McGard is the nation’s leading manufacturer of mechanical anti-theft devices.  When market demand outpaced McGard’s production capacity they focused their attention on existing production lines.  With the help of PlantESP the engineering team at McGard successfully tapped into opportunities that had been seemingly hidden in plain sight.

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Data Collection Speed is Key to the Accurate Interpretation of Process Dynamics

If you’re old enough to remember silent movies, then you know what it’s like to see the characters seemingly jiggle around the screen. Black spots would randomly appear as the story was told with the help of subtitles. Spots and subtitles aside, these movies appeared jittery due to their slow speed. The slow frame rate – a precursor of data collection speed – resulted in visual gaps.

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