Advanced Process Control

Abstract

The need for high-performance advanced control systems has accelerated over the past decade. Economic pressure, increased environmental and safety concerns and a tighter integration of process units have all contributed towards this demand. The complex nature of manufacturing processes coupled with the large investments in assets by operating companies in the process industries make the need for automated process control greater than ever. At the same time, because of the increased efficiency of process computers, to demand for robust and accurate control of non-linear industrial processes can now be achieved by advanced process control (APC) strategies. APC is a proven technology that reduces process variability and inefficiency, improves product consistency, increases throughput by allowing operations to push constraints to the limits and achieve higher return on assets.Over the years, APC has decisively demonstrated its value as a best practice by increasing throughput and improving yield, energy usage, raw material usage, product quality, safety, and responsiveness.