October 5, 2009 - ExperTune’s PlantTriage software has captured much of Greg Shinskey’s process control knowledge in an on-line expert system. The software takes real-time data from any control system, then applies Mr. Shinskey’s rules, giving an instant analysis of process, control, instrument, and control valve issues. F. Greg Shinskey is well-known in the field of process control.
A practitioner of process control for over 50 years, he has received 17 patents, authored 7 books and over 100 articles. Mr. Shinskey is the recipient of ISA’s 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award, and has received entry into the Process Automation Hall of Fame. Mr. Shinskey’s approach to energy saving and process improvement have been adopted by many companies in the process industries.
The PlantTriage software draws real-time data from a control system or process data historian. The software measures over 80 aspects of controller performance, then applies Shinskey’s analysis. The result is real-time advice for instruments, controllers, valves, and process equipment. Results are displayed in dashboards on a web browser, or via event-driven email alerts. These new features are part of PlantTriage version 9, which is being released this month.
Shinskey’s analysis is based on each controller’s configuration, the type of loop being controlled (flow, level, temperature) and pattern recognition of real-time trend information. So the advice provided is very specific, providing a complete explanation of the problem, its symptoms, and the steps required to resolve it.
