Ask the Automation Pros
This long-running series of discussions, curated by 2010 ISA Life Achievement Award recipient Greg McMillan, gathers responses from ISA subject-matter experts on technical topics important to industrial automation professionals, academics and students.
155 Results Found
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What are the Equivalent Methods to Eliminate Proportional Step and Derivative Kick?
There are several methods for eliminating or controlling the proportional step and derivative kick in a PID output resulting from a change of setpoint. -
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What Is the Definition of PID Bumpless Transfer?
Bumpless transfer and how a new operating point can be achieved quickly and smoothly after the PID is switched to automatic mode. -
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How Do You Measure Control System Performance?
Seek a suite of practical metrics in terms of key performance indicators that can have an impact on plant control system performance. -
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How Do You Convert Tuning Settings of an Independent PID?
Considerable confusion exists on how the PID Form affects tuning settings. Lack of understanding of Form & units of settings can lead to disastrous results. -
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Top 10 Mistakes Made Every Day in pH System Design
In pH control systems reagent piping and injection must minimize transportation delays, volumes must have proper geometry and agitation to maximize the process time constant that filters pH oscillatio -
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How to Smooth the Transition Between Batch and Continuous Operations
The unbalance between continuous operation flow & instantaneous batch flow can be spread over available inventory by an adapted rate limited feedforward. -
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Benefits of Individually Fusing I/O with Indicating Fuse Blocks
The increased cost of using individual fuses will be quickly recovered by the reduced time to troubleshoot and resolve field wiring problems. One or two instances of bringing production back on line w -
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Free Download: Checklists to Manage Instrumentation and Manufacturing Technology
Information needed to take advantage of the best industrial technology and address all of the considerations of an application is often difficult to find. -
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The Value of Messaging in Industrial Control Systems
If the information is detailed & useful, an operator will be able to run a control system much more independently & resolve problems without outside help. -
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Use Wireless Transmitters for Diagnostics, Improvements, and Metrics
Wireless transmitters can rapidly prototype, demonstrate, analyze and justify installations of online diagnostics, metrics and improvements. -
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How to Select the Best Control Valve Location
Locate control valves to be maintainable, provide fast injection into mixing zones, and prevent flashing and cavitation. -
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The 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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Use 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. -
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Opportunities and Challenges for New Automation Engineers
There are many opportunities and some challenges for new engineers entering careers in industrial automation and manufacturing. A Q&A offers many insights. -
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Why 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. -
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Why 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. -
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Why 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.













