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Author Profile
Gregory K. McMillan
270 Results Found
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FeatureToo Many Alarms in an Industrial Plant Can Be Worse Than None at All
Alarm management is a never ending effort. Routinely review the plant’s alarm list, and try to eliminate or address points that appear too often. -
FeatureHow to Select the Best Control Valve Location
Locate control valves to be maintainable, provide fast injection into mixing zones, and prevent flashing and cavitation. -
FeatureThe Benefits of Teamwork for a Industrial Project Start-up or Plant Outage
Take the time (and spend the money) to show appreciation to the crews on an industrial project start-up or during a major production outage. -
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How Optimal Measurement Location Maximizes Sensor Sensitivity and Signal-To-Noise Ratio
The best measurement location maximizes the sensor sensitivity and maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio and minimizes deadtime. -
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How to Be Successful as an Industrial Automation Manager
The successful industrial manager has to have the skill and desire to manage clients, motivate and develop others, provide technical direction, ensure quality, keep the schedule, watch the budget, mit -
FeatureUse Field Analyzers to Measure Key Component Concentrations
Field analyzers enable a higher level of control, such as model predictive control, to improve product quality and process efficiency and capacity. -
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Industrial Tip: Project Management Is Really Risk Management
As a project manager, continuously monitor everything for signs of problems and immediately inquire if something seems amiss. -
FeatureWhy You Should Use the Best Automation Technology, Even if the Price Tag Is Higher
Do not go with cheaper instrumentation unless you are certain the impact on maintenance and process performance is (and will continue to be) negligible. -
FeatureWhy New Engineers Should Get Plant Experience Early
When searching for a job, seek out plants that have at least one seasoned engineer under whom you can work. -
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How to Achieve Greater Manufacturing Efficiency With Online Process Metrics
Add flow measurements to every important stream and compute online metrics for the process efficiency and capacity of each key unit operation. -
FeatureWhy Industrial Engineers Should Learn to Estimate Jobs
Estimate each process industry job before starting it and always follow up and compare the final cost figures against the initial estimate. -
FeatureHow to Use Simulation and Virtual Plants for Process Improvement
First principle models & experimental models in a virtual plant offer powerful tools for process control improvement and an operator training system. -
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Always Design in Spare Capacity to Allow for Industrial Plant Expansion
A common rule of thumb for most systems is to add at least 25 percent spare capacity to the original design. -
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How to Improve Setpoints in Industrial Processes
Setpoints in industrial automation and manufacturing processes can be improved by achieving a higher level of control and knowledge. -
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Murphy's Law Is Alive and Well in Industrial Processes
Automation engineers love to create complex solutions. But try not to complicate a solution any more than necessary. -
FeatureHow to Use a Coriolis Meter for Mass Flow and Concentration Control
Coriolis meters can be used for measuring liquid flows in batch, fed-batch and continuous operations. -
FeatureBenefits and Shortcomings of Vortex Flowmeters
Vortex flowmeters are a good choice for measuring the flow rate of any reasonably clean fluid where measurement at very low flows is not required. -
FeatureHow Equipment and Operating Conditions Affect Process Dynamics
Simple material and energy balances can be developed to understand the effects of equipment design and operating conditions on process dynamics. -
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What are the Strengths and Weaknesses of Differential Pressure Flow Devices?
Each type of differential pressure flowmeter has a variety of pros and cons but the sheer number of types provides many options to the engineer -
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Why a Virtual Plant Is Crucial for Process Control Improvement
A virtual plant provides uses the actual plant’s control system & operator interface crucial for training and all levels of process control improvement.