November 19, 2009 - With ExperTune's PlantTriage software, an engineer or technician can now tune over 50 control loops a day. PlantTriage identifies loops to be tuned and gives the best PID values. Before-and-after simulations quickly confirm the settings. The browser-based tools accelerate tuning time to mere minutes.
See “How to Tune a Loop in 60 Seconds” on the PlantTriage YouTube channel, at www.youtube.com/PlantTriage .PlantTriage is control loop performance monitoring software. It monitors the performance of all plant control loops and instruments in real-time, providing prioritized, focused advice.
Prioritized tuning recommendations are shown in a standard web browser or via automated email. From here, users can perform simulations, fine-tune the controller, select robustness, and generate loop documentation. Live links to detailed dashboards can be used to inspect all aspects of control loop performance. Only Microsoft Internet Explorer software is required on the client computer.The new features link directly to PlantTriage’s Active Model Capture Technology, or AMCT.
AMCT scans the plant 24 hours a day, looking for operator setpoint changes or output changes. From this normal operating data, the software models the process, finds new tuning, and shows the improvement. The PlantTriage server maintains a history of these process models, and tuning values, as well as other control performance metrics.George Buckbee, Vice President of Product Development at ExperTune says: "I’ve been tuning control loops myself for over 20 years. Loop tuning has always been a time-consuming process, with a lot of waiting.
This new approach takes all the waiting out of the process. Now, engineers and technicians can confidently tune dozens of control loops a single day." John Gerry, President of ExperTune says "ExperTune's expertise has been recognized through multiple industry awards. We pride ourselves on putting this expertise into easy-to-use tools.
The new browser-based tools make our knowledge and experience even more accessible and easy to use." Browser-based tuning tools are available as a standard feature in PlantTriage version 9.
About ExperTune’s PlantTriage
For 23 years, ExperTune has created award-winning optimization software now running in thousands of plants world-wide. PlantTriage Control Performance Monitor oversees the optimization of an entire plant, including equipment, operations, and controls. The PlantTriage suite of optimization tools are designed to increase the efficiency of processes. The tools include swing or oscillation detection and elimination, interaction analysis, modeling, robustness, linearization, valve wear analysis, pH linearization, time series analysis, MPC performance improvement, 6-sigma, frequency response, and PID tuning tools. ExperTune is a member of the OPC Foundation.