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input #2 at www.controleng.com/information
input #3 at www.controleng.com/information
 Vol. 67
Number 3

MARCH 2020

ANSWERS
16 | How to select, apply process sensors

18 | Skills for the edge

computing revolution

20 | Software readiness
for data analytics
p18
and Big Data
16, after 35
COVER: Image on the left appears after p. 35, in the Inside Process 22 | Cloud-based analytics for manufacturing
section (P1) and is from the Control Engineering webcast, “Advanced
26 | Intrinsic value of industry
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
process control: Past, present and future,” with Allan Kern, P.E., owner,
APC Performance LLC. Image on the right was a CFE Media and
Technology image at the Endress+Hauser booth at Automation Fair standards for end users, TIME STANDARDS TIME

MAKING
system integrators, suppliers
EFFORT EFFORT
2019 from Rockwell Automation; it helps illustrate, along with a related
image in the p. 16 article, how to select and apply process sensors. RETURN ON INVESTMENT

28 | Standards capture stranded p26

data, help with device design,
INSIGHTS data integration
6 | Research: Specifying servo, stepper drives 32 | Automation of
8 | Integrator Update: Six steps toward auxiliary processes
eliminating obsolete controls equipment is the key to the
smart factory
NEWS
ONLINE EXTRA | Hannover Messe 2020 delayed to July
10 | Most-viewed university articles due to coronavirus concerns; Top 5 Control Engineering
12 | Motion prediction algorithms articles, Laser-induced graphene for flexible electronics,
Enhancing safety with mobile devices
enhance safety features for automat-
ed vehicles, Headlines online
INSIDE PROCESS
13 | Donation made for mechatronics lab
P1 | Advanced process control: More
answers
14 | Think Again: How to compete and win
with automation P7 | Understand partial-stroke testing

CONTROL ENGINEERING (ISSN 0010-8049, Vol. 67, No. 3, GST #123397457) is published 12x per year, Monthly by CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Jim Langhenry, Group
Publisher/Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/Co-Founder. CONTROL ENGINEERING copyright 2020 by CFE Media, LLC. All rights reserved. CONTROL ENGINEERING is a registered trademark of CFE Media, LLC used under
license. Periodicals postage paid at Downers Grove, IL 60515 and additional mailing offices. Circulation records are maintained at 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Telephone: 630/571-4070.
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such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever.

www.controleng.com control engineering March 2020 • 3

input #4 at www.controleng.com/information
 MARCH 2020

INNOVATIONS
NEW PRODUCTS FOR ENGINEERS
44 | Digital servo drives, Ultrasonic flowmeter
series, Wired IO-Link bridge device, Data
intelligence hub for smart manufacturing, Analytics
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See more New Products for Engineers at
www.controleng.com/NPE.
BACK TO BASICS
45 | Making process control valve choices
Process control valves offer a wider range of features, benefits for Control Engineering eBook
industries that require precise control. Also look at cost effectiveness. series: IIoT Cloud Spring edition
Learn how the
NEWSLETTER: Industrial Networking Industrial Internet
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• Continuous improvements help Alabama cotton turing. This eBook
gin increase yields includes articles on high-speed
• 2020 Engineers’ Choice Awards engine monitoring, working with
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• Design advice for connecting IT and OT connectivity and communications
• Hot topics in Control Engineering for 2019 adds value.
• Wearable power generator for IoT devices Learn more and register to down-
developed. load at www.controleng.com/
Keep up with emerging trends: subscribe. ebooks/.
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www.controleng.com control engineering March 2020 • 5

 Number of
INSIGHTS employees supervised
RESEARCH
26 to 100 6%
More than 100

6 to 25 1%

2019 MOTOR DRIVES STUDY

Specifying servo, 17%

42%

stepper drives

F
34%
orty-six percent of respondents 20% of respondents reported spending
to the Control Engineering 2019 more than $100,000.
Motor Drives Study buy, specify, 4. Important factors: When evaluat- 1 to 5 None
use or expect to use servo and/ ing servo and/or stepper drives, the most
or stepper drives in the next 12 months. important factors, according to respon- Fifty-eight percent of automation
Below are five key findings from this dents, are accurate positioning (97%), professionals are in a supervisory
study related to servo and/or stepper accurate speed and torque control (97%) position; the average number of
drives: and motor sizing and tuning software
employees managed by these
1. Applications: Servo and/or stepper (81%).
drives are usually specified for new appli- 5. Ordering preference: The majori- respondents is 10. Source: Con-
cations (87%), as well as retrofit (67%) ty (87%) of respondents prefer to order trol Engineering 2019 Career &
and replacement (64%). a standard off-the-shelf servo and/or Salary Study
2. Purchasing: Six in 10 respondents stepper drive versus custom-engineered
prefer to purchase servo and/or stepper (3%); 10% have no preference. ce
drive controller products as matched
units; 12% prefer to buy them as separate
M More 70% of end users need or
units and 28% have no preference.
3. Expenditures: An average expen-
RESEARCH are interested in remote moni-
toring capabilities for controller
Access more motor drive trends at
diture of about $94,000 was estimated to www.controleng.com/research. software. Source: Control Engi-
have been spent on servo and/or stepper Amanda Pelliccione is the research director neering 2018 Programmable Con-
drive products over the past 12 months; at CFE Media. trollers Study

Servo, stepper drive control types in use

$139,000:
Average estimated expenditures
Closed loop 89%
for variable-speed drives, ac/dc,
over the past 12 months. Source:
Pulse width 52%
Control Engineering 2019 Motor
modulation control Drives Study

AC
51%

>60%
(sinusoidal commutation)
of end users buy
Open-loop or specify robots, robot sensing
(for steppers only) 45%
or vision systems, and robot sen-
sors. Source: Control Engineering
Brush dc 38% 2019 Robotics Study

Brushless dc
More research
37%
(trapezoidal commutation) Control Engineering covers sev-
eral research topics each year.
Closed-loop drive controls for servo and/or stepper drives are most popularly All reports are available at
used by respondents, followed by pulse-width modulation, ac and open-loop www.controleng.com/research.
controls. Source: Control Engineering

6 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

 2018
input #5 at www.controleng.com/information
WINNER
 INSIGHTS
INTEGRATOR UPDATE: OBSOLESCENCE
Robert Herman, Avanceon

Six steps toward eliminating

obsolete controls equipment
Replacing obsolete controls equipment is inconvenient, but it is a necessary process
and can be made easier with an internal audit that shows what needs to be done.

M
ost people have a least one control implemented to ensure ease of troubleshooting and
panel that’s like a recurring night- commonality.
mare. Each time it’s opened, some- 4. When will new equipment be installed?
thing breaks, so naturally don’t Operations needs to be involved in the decision!
open it! Don’t look at it or even This will ultimately drive the when and how more
breathe around it! That tends to be the situation with than any other factor. Aim for outage windows that
a lot of manufacturing facilities, but there is a big will allow for testing prior to the system coming
problem with that mindset: It won’t work forever. back online and generating product.
People don’t drive cars from 1985 every day and 5. Know your costs. This can be handled by an
expect them to keep on chugging along forever; the internal engineering team or by having an assess-

‘
same goes with the equipment vital to ment done to allow outside help to dig through the
Well-planned hard- manufacturing facilities. Well-planned collateral. Add additional expense/benefits of hiring
hardware obsolescence projects can ulti- outside help.
ware obsolescence mately prevent unplanned downtime and 6. Coordinate, schedule and implement. Now
spending, as well as conquer the outdated that you know what is changing, why it’s changing,
projects can ultimate- equipment plaguing a plant. how it’s changing, where it’s going and when it can
While it might be inconvenient and change. The rest comes down to execution.
ly prevent unplanned costly, and the benefits aren’t realized, it Following these steps will help manufactur-
certainly is better than the alternative. If ers face the obsolete equipment haunting a facility
downtime and something does go wrong, there will be a with minimal pain and help companies look to the

’
spending. headache much larger than simply spend- future. ce
ing the money to replace the obsolete
controls equipment. And it’s a good bet the problems Robert Herman, program manager, Avanceon, a
will be far-reaching, leading to a lot of uncomfortable CFE Media content partner. This article original-
questions about why it wasn’t done sooner. ly appeared on Avanceon’s website. Edited by Chris
Vavra, associate editor, Control Engineering, CFE
Obsolescence: Media and Technology, cvavra@cfemedia.com.
Six questions to ask
Fortunately, manufacturers can avoid the hassle of
unscheduled outages and surprise budget burdens.
All it takes is following these six simple steps:
M More
INSIGHTS
1. Know what you have. A simple audit of the KEYWORDS: control systems, system integration
current hardware and status of electrical schemat- Replacing obsolete control systems is a long and
ics (existing? on paper? electronic copy available?) is expensive process and many companies put it off.
critical. Putting off replacement can incur major costs and
downtime if it’s put off for too long.
2. Identify future issues. Ask if the equipment
Companies looking to replace old equipment need
runs perfectly and would there be a return on invest- to do an internal audit to see what the return on
ment (ROI) associated with fixing an issue that could investment (ROI) is.
help offset the upgrade cost. Also ask if this piece of
ONLINE
equipment should perhaps not live in the hottest/
Read this article at
stickiest/wettest room of your plant. Also consider if www.controleng.com for additional stories from
there’s future functionality/equipment that should be Avanceon.
planned for? CONSIDER THIS
3. Determine if there are corporate/plant pro- When was the last time you replaced a piece of aging
gramming or electrical standards that could be equipment, and what were the steps involved?

8 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

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INSIGHTS
NEWS

Most-viewed university articles in 2019

Hot topics from university sources for quantum computing, sensing, and
published in 2019 at Control Engineering communication.
included drag-and-drop analytics, robot-
ic actuators, nanocrystals, and prolong- 4. Nanocrystals improve quantum
ing power plant life with AI. Catch up on dot manufacturing for process moni-
what you may have missed using the links toring applications, North Carolina State
online and in the digital edition. University, March 27: North Carolina
State University researchers have devel-
1. Drag-and-drop data analyt- oped a system for synthesizing perovskite
ics using machine learning, Massa- quantum dots to reduce manufacturing
chusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), costs for real-time process monitoring to A robotic car controlled by an ultra-low
June 28: MIT researchers have devel- help ensure quality control. power hybrid chip is placed into an
oped a system that lets nonspecialists use arena to demonstrate its ability to learn
machine-learning (ML) models to make 5. Prolonging power plant life and collaborate with another robot.
predictions for medical research, sales, through artificial intelligence, West Courtesy: Allison Carter, Georgia Tech
and more. Virginia University, Sept. 25: A West Vir-
ginia University chemical engineer is
2. Automated system generates tapping into artificial intelligence (AI) to from the Georgia Institute of Technol-
robotic actuators, MIT, July 18: MIT prolong the lives of power plant boilers. ogy demonstrated robotic cars that use
researchers have developed an automated an ultra-low power hybrid chip to give
system that designs and 3D prints robot- 6. Supersonic jet injector acceler- palm-sized robots the ability to collaborate
ic actuators, which are optimized and ates nanoscale additive manufactur- and learn from their experiences like the
automatically created, which is almost ing, Georgia Institute of Technology, human brain does. See video.
impossible for a human to do. July 19: Georgia Tech researchers are
using a supersonic jet injector to accel- 8. Machine learning used to deter-
3. Diamond-based quantum sensor erate nanoscale additive manufacturing mine warehouse ergonomics for work-
fabricated on a silicon chip, MIT, Sept. used for applications such as electronic er safety, University of Washington,
26: MIT researchers have fabricated a circuitry and superconducting materials. Aug. 23: Researchers at the University
diamond-based quantum sensor on a sil- of Washington used machine learning to
icon chip. The advance, called a nitro- 7. Low-power hybrid chip makes develop a system that monitors factory
gen-vacancy (NV) center, could pave the small robots more capable, Georgia Insti- and warehouse workers and tell them, in
way toward low-cost, scalable hardware tute of Technology, March 8: Researchers real time, how risky their behaviors are.

9. Mobile process sensor technolo-

gy developed to identify plant diseases,
North Carolina State University, July 31:
North Carolina State University research-
ers have developed a mobile process sen-
sor that uses analytics to identify plant
diseases in the field by sampling airborne
volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
plants release through their leaves with a
mobile instrumentation device.

10. Control your career with a per-

sonal board of directors, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Aug. 16: A personal board
of directors is a broader version of a men-
torship with many people assisting your
For years, researchers from MIT and Brown University have been developing engineering career journey from a variety
an interactive system that lets users drag-and-drop and manipulate data on any of viewpoints. See four ways to begin. ce
touchscreen, including smartphones and interactive whiteboards. Now, they’ve
included a tool that instantly and automatically generates machine-learning Chris Vavra, associate editor, CFE
models to run prediction tasks on that data. Courtesy: Melanie Gonick, MIT Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

10 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

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input #7 at www.controleng.com/information
INSIGHTS
NEWS

Motion prediction algorithms enhance

safety features for automated vehicles
The Southwest Research Institute
(SwRI) has developed a motion pre-
diction system that enhances pedes-
trian detection for automated vehicles.
The computer vision tool uses a deep
learning algorithm designed to predict
motion by observing real-time biome-
chanical movements with the pelvic area
being a key indicator for changes.
“For instance, if a pedestrian is walk-
ing west, the system can predict if that
person will suddenly turn south,” said
SwRI’s Samuel E. Slocum, a senior
research analyst who led the project.
“As the push for automated vehicles
accelerates, this research offers several
important safety features to help protect
pedestrians.”
Recent accidents involving automat- SwRI’s human motion prediction system overlays sparse skeletal features
ed vehicles have heightened the call for on pedestrians to predict movement. The blue dot in this image predicts
improved detection of pedestrians and the future direction of pedestrian on right. Deep learning algorithms pre-
other moving obstacles. Although previ- dict motion based on pelvic biomechanical movement. Courtesy: Southwest
ous technologies could track and predict Research Institute
movements in a straight line, they were
unable to anticipate sudden changes.
Motion prediction often uses “opti- People draw on experience and infer-
cal flow” algorithms to predict direc-
tion and speed based on lateral motion.
ence when driving near pedestrians and
cyclists. SwRI’s research is a small step
Headlines
Optical flow, a type of computer vision, for autonomous systems to react more online
pairs algorithms with cameras to track like human drivers. Top 5 Control Engineering articles
dynamic objects. The accuracy of opti- “If we see a pedestrian, we might pre- February 17-23
cal flow diminishes, however, when pare to slow down or change lanes in Articles about the Engineers’ Choice win-
people move in unexpected directions. anticipation of someone crossing the ners, process control valves, improving cot-
To improve accuracy, SwRI com- street,” said Dr. Douglas Brooks, a man- ton gins, robots and drones in process facili-
pared optical flow to other deep learn- ager in SwRI’s applied sensing depart- ties, and the most-viewed university articles.
ing methods, including temporal ment. “We take it for granted, but it’s
Laser-induced graphene
convolutional networks (TCNs) and incredibly complex for a computer to for flexible electronics
long short-term memory (LSTM). After process this scene and predict scenarios.” A tiny visible beam burns microscopic pat-
testing several configurations, research- The research team leveraged SwRI’s terns, which could help flexible electronics.
ers optimized a novel TCN that out- markerless motion capture system, which
performed competing algorithms, automates biomechanical analysis in Soft robotic arm uses flexible
sensors to understand its position
predicting sudden changes in motion sports science. Using camera vision and
MIT researchers have developed flexible
within milliseconds with a high level of perception algorithms, the system pro- sensors and an artificial intelligence model to
accuracy. vides deep insights into kinematics and help robot positioning in a 3D environment.
The temporal design uses a convolu- joint movement.
tional neural network to process video Applications for the project include Boosting security of process
data. SwRI’s novel approach optimizes human performance, automated vehicles control chemical systems
dilation in network layers to learn and and manufacturing robotics. ce Wayne State University researchers
enhance cybersecurity of controls.
predict trends at a higher level. Dilat-
ed convolutions are structures that - Edited from an SwRI press release by Enhancing safety with mobile devices
store and access video data for spatial CFE Media. See more Control Engineer- The use of intrinsically safe smart devices
observations. ing machine vision stories. can help improve productivity and safety.

12 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

 Donation made
for mechatronics lab
OMRON FOUNDATION, the charitable arm of global tech-
nology and factory automation company Omron, made a
monetary gift along with state-of-the-art robotics equipment
to California State University, Chico (Chico State) for a new
and expanded mechatronics laboratory and classroom space.
The planned 2,505-sq-ft learning environment will feature
mint-condition industrial equipment of the type being used
in next-generation factories worldwide. Chico State seeks
to interest more engineering students in robotics studies
and provide them with the skills necessary to succeed in a
changing portion of the workforce.
“Omron’s mission is to improve lives and contribute to a
better society, and a large part of this effort involves educat-
ing today’s students to help solve tomorrow’s problems,” said
Nigel Blakeway, chairman and CEO of Omron Management
Center of America and president of Omron Foundation in a
press release. “We are honored to be able to help the next
generation of robotics talent gain the skills necessary to inno-
vate and thrive in the future.”
“We saw a strong opportunity with Chico State to give
a bright and hardworking group of students the opportu-
nity to work directly with state-of-the-art automation equip-
ment, the sort that they will likely encounter in their first
engineering jobs right out of school,” says Robb Black, pres-
ident, CEO and COO of Omron Automation Americas. “It
GET EVERY LAST DROP
FROM YOUR EXISTING
has been a great pleasure for us to work with the university
and their exceptional engineering department.”
Chico State has the first accredited program in mecha-
tronics engineering in the nation. Laboratory construction EQUIPMENT.

‘
began in summer
2019 and opened for Inefficient processes and wasteful operations can
Increasing interest for engi- put a drain on the bottom line; but transforming
classes in the spring
neering students in robotics 2020 semester. your operation into a Smart Factory doesn’t always
studies can provide them with Chico State presi- mean costly capital investment.
necessary skills to succeed in dent Gayle Hutchin-

’
son said, “The Omron
a changing workforce. Powered by our award winning Crimson® software,
Mechatronics CoLab
the FlexEdge™ platform enables companies to get
at Chico State will
enable the University to build an exciting leading-edge the most out of your
lab where we can prepare students as the next generation existing equipment,
workforce. It will be a collaborative space that will inspire regardless of
research and have a transformative impact on our students, manufacturer.
faculty, region, state and country.”
Nick Repanich, a lecturer from Chico State’s Department
of mechatronic, engineering and sustainable manufacturing,
said, “We need a place where when you’re an engineering
student, and you think mechatronics and robotics are cool, REQUEST A DEMONSTRATION
there’s a place you can come to be inspired, work on projects, 877.432.9908
and learn about it. You need a place where mechatronics is all FLEXEDGE@REDLION.NET
around you. We don’t currently have a place like that.”
– Edited from an Omron press release by CFE Media.
flexedge.net
control engineering March 2020 • 13
input #8 at www.controleng.com/information
INSIGHTS
THINK AGAIN ®

3010 Highland Parkway, Suite 325, Downers Grove,

IL 60515. 630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504

How to compete Content Specialists/Editorial

Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager
630-571-4070, x2227, MHoske@CFEMedia.com

and win with automation Jack Smith, Content Manager

630-571-4070, x2230, JSmith@CFEMedia.com
Kevin Parker, Senior Contributing Editor, IIoT, OGE
630-571-4070, x2228, KParker@CFEMedia.com
With automation at an inflection point, a variety of technologies Emily Guenther, Director of Interactive Media
630-571-4070, x2229, eguenther@CFEMedia.com
and interoperable standards efforts are bringing higher levels of Amanda Pelliccione, Director of Research
978-302-3463, APelliccione@CFEMedia.com
flexibility, integration and optimization. Chris Vavra, Associate Editor

A
CVavra@CFEMedia.com

utomation, controls, and er, and change agent who gives frequent
Contributing Content Specialists
instrumentation, applied in talks about innovation. We need to adapt Suzanne Gill, Control Engineering Europe
innovative ways, can help to changes in real time, as a creative artist suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk
implementations compete and of engineering, he suggested. Ekaterina Kosareva, Control Engineering Russia
ekaterina.kosareva@fsmedia.ru
win. Why? The three were among speakers at the Agata Abramczyk, Control Engineering Poland
Automation is at an interesting point A3 Business Forum in January. agata.abramczyk@trademedia.pl
in history, explained John Payne, Yaska- Lukáš Smelík, Control Engineering Czech Republic
lukas.smelik@trademedia.cz
wa America Corp. and chair of the Asso- Plugging in standards
Aileen Jin, Control Engineering China
ciation for Advancing Automation (A3) In another significant advance, aileenjin@cechina.cn
board of directors. He noted that we’re at interoperability standards for open pro-
an inflection point for hardware and soft- cess automation have been tested in a spe- Editorial Advisory Board
www.controleng.com/EAB
ware capabilities, with inte- cialty chemical process plant, Doug Bell, president, InterConnecting Automation,
gration of robots and motion explained Igor Stolz, director, www.interconnectingautomation.com
and imaging. Artificial intelli- electrical and process control, David Bishop, president and a founder
gence (AI) capabilities also are Evonik Industries AG, at the Matrix Technologies, www.matrixti.com
Daniel E. Capano, senior project manager, Gannett Fleming
expanding. ARC Advisory Group’s ARC Engineers and Architects, www.gannettfleming.com
AI, while useful, is a very Forum in February. It’s chal- Frank Lamb, founder and owner
unfortunate term because it lenging for such facilities to be Automation Consulting LLC, www.automationllc.com

implies software is creative and fast, flexible and cost efficient Joe Martin, president and founder
Martin Control Systems, www.martincsi.com
can do anything a person can Mark T. Hoske, with relatively small through- Rick Pierro, president and co-founder
do, said Byron Reese, author, Content Manager puts. Time to market is crucial Superior Controls, www.superiorcontrols.com

publisher of the Gigaom web- while maintaining quality. Mark Voigtmann, partner, automation practice lead
Faegre Baker Daniels, www.FaegreBD.com
site and several books on Modular production and
hopeful technology applications to solve development concepts offer high flexibility CFE Media Contributor
human challenges. Reese said AI is nar- and functionality, Stolz said, which reduc- Guidelines Overview
rower and can only do a bit of what es investment risk. Evonik used a standards Content For Engineers. That’s what CFE Media
stands for, and what CFE Media is all about –
humans can do. What it can help us do is approach from NAMUR, the User Associa- engineers sharing with their peers. We welcome
get smarter about the future by looking at tion of Automation Technology in Process content submissions for all interested parties in
engineering. We will use those materials online, on
past data. AI also can increase productiv- Industries. A module type package (MTP) our website, in print and in newsletters to keep
ity, which is always good. AI makes you was applied to equipment, such as human- engineers informed about the products, solutions
and industry trends.
smarter if you use it, Reese said. machine interface, maintenance, alarm www.controleng.com/contribute explains how
However, we cannot rely on models management, safety and security, process to submit press releases, products, images and
graphics, bylined feature articles, case studies, white
of the past and expect the same results. control, and other systems. MTP is a stan- papers, and other media.
Human creativity cannot be outsourced. dard non-proprietary interface description * Content should focus on helping engineers solve
problems. Articles that are commercial or are critical
If don’t use creative problem solving, only for process equipment assemblies. of other products or organizations will be rejected.
will get you a C, 70% of the way there, Using MTP designs, standard process (Technology discussions and comparative tables may
be accepted if non-promotional and if contributor
explained Josh Linkner, author, speak- modules were constructed and moved corroborates information with sources cited.)
and integrated from plant to plant. Such * If the content meets criteria noted in guidelines,

M More
INSIGHTS
an interoperable “skid” design offers seven
specific benefits applicable for plant own-
ers, module vendors, system integrators,
expect to see it first on our Websites. Content for our
e-newsletters comes from content already available on
our Websites. All content for print also will be online.
All content that appears in our print magazines will
appear as space permits, and we will indicate in print
See more on standards starting on p. 26
and more with this article online. and automation vendors. Others involved if more content from that article is available online.
* Deadlines for feature articles intended for the print
www.controleng.com/magazine in the prototype demonstration were magazines are at least two months in advance of the
www.namur.net/en ABB, OPC Foundation and Wago. publication date. Again, it is best to discuss all feature
articles with the appropriate content manager prior to
www.a3automate.org Think again about automation inno- submission.
www.arcweb.com vations to raise your competitiveness. ce Learn more at: www.controleng.com/contribute

14 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

 The Plant Floor in Your Pocket
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Control your SCADA with a swipe.

See the live demo now.

Scan this QR code with your phone
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ANSWERS
COVER STORY: PROCESS CONTROL
Daniel E. Capano, Gannett Fleming Engineers and Architects

How to select,
apply process sensors
When specifying process sensors, several common factors need
to be considered such as the operating environment, mounting options
and cable connections.

W
hen specifying process sensors, hazardous locations. In the former case, the sensor
several common factors need to housing must be designed to withstand the action
be considered to avoid installa- of corrosive gases or liquids; in the latter, it is mat-
tion and application problems ter of preventing the materials from entering and
during implementation. These compromising the sensor.
factors include its intended use, the operating envi- Sensor housings are often rated using the NEMA
ronment, mounting options, installation, calibration, enclosure rating system or the Ingress Protection
start-up and commissioning, operation and mainte- (IP) rating system. NEMA 4X and NEMA 7-10 are
nance. All of these factors should be considered dur- used for corrosion-resistant and explosion-proof
ing design and will have a material effect on the final housing, respectively. There is some correlation
form and function of the sensor and connected or between the two rating systems, there is a wealth of
controlled equipment. Doing a thorough evaluation information online regarding both.
of these factors will avoid rework or replacing the In considering the environmental factors, using
sensor in the field, which also will introduce addi- intrinsically-safe sensors and systems in hazard-
tional cost and possible delays. ous locations should be considered whenever pos-
sible. Intrinsically-safe sensors use low current and
Process sensor environments voltage to limit the ability of arcing and sparking to
Operating environments widely vary. For exam- ignite flammable materials. Intrinsically safe barri-
ple, in water treatment applications, environments ers can also be used to limit current and voltage to
are usually wet, dirty, corrosive and hazardous. safe levels.
Industrial environments offer some of the same
environments, but also introduce materials such as Sensor mounting options
metal dust and chips or fibrous flyings that can foul There are many mounting options, and they
or damage the sensor. The goal is providing a suit- will normally conform to standard interface meth-
able, safe enclosure that will operate in harsh envi- ods to the process. Open tank process monitoring
ronments without creating a hazard in and of itself. requires no explanation other than the sensor loca-
Capacitive proxim- A case in point is installations in corrosive or tion should be carefully selected to allow optimum
ity sensors allow monitoring of the required parameter.
sensing of metal The sensor also should be mounted in a way to
and non-metal allow regular inspection, maintenance and calibra-
objects through tion regardless of the parameter being measured.
insulating materi- Non-standard mountings or mountings requir-
als such as wood ing special or proprietary tools are an invitation to
or plastic and are neglect and will affect process measurement and
often used to sense control.
fill levels of liquids Most sensors do offer standard attachment
or powders. Cour- options, which will easily integrate into process
tesy: New Products piping, tanks or vessels. It is important to ensure
for Engineers Data- the sensor is mounted in an easily accessible loca-
base, Automation- tion so staff can perform regular maintenance and
Direct avoid process upsets from a bad data.

16 • March 2020 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

With open tank process monitoring, sensor loca-
tion should allow optimum monitoring of the
required parameter. See related cover photo,
M More
ANSWERS
also from Endress+Hauser booth at the 2019 KEYWORDS: process
Automation Fair by Rockwell Automation. Cour- control, process sensors
tesy: Mark T. Hoske, CFE Media and Technology Process sensor operating
environments widely vary
and need to be considered.
One often overlooked issue is the method of A thorough evaluation will
cable attachment. In harsh or hazardous environ- help engineers avoid costly
ments, a potted cable, which is connected perma- delays.
nently into the sensor body either mechanically or Cable attachments are
often overlooked with
with a potting compound such as an epoxy or filler. process sensors.
This prevents the ingress of dirt or hazardous mate-
rials, which may damage the sensor or create arcing CONSIDER THIS
and sparking. What is your biggest
consideration when
Plugs and jacks also can be used to connect choosing a process sensor?
cables to a sensor, but this requires a clean environ-
ment, such as in a laboratory. The use of this meth- ONLINE
od allows an easy swap-out of the sensor in case of If reading from the digital
edition, click on the headline
failure. In the former case, the entire sensor and for more resources.
cable assembly must be replaced, which may require www.controleng.com/
extensive rewiring. ce magazine
IN THIS ISSUE
Daniel E. Capano is senior project manager, Gannett
Articles on advanced
Fleming Engineers and Architects, and on the Con- control and testing after p.
trol Engineering Editorial Advisory Board. Edited by 35 and a process valves
Chris Vavra, associate editor, Control Engineering, article on p. 45.
CFE Media and Technology, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

WEBCASTS

Top 3 IIoT
Control Engineering Inventory Management
webcast topics Troubleshooting techniques for motors
www.controleng.com/webcasts
ANSWERS
EDGE COMPUTING
Josh Eastburn, Opto 22

Skills for the

edge computing revolution
Edge computing is becoming more prevalent, and it’s imperative
for engineers to get in on the action. Learn four skills engineers can
develop to be better prepared.

T
he worlds of information technology however, edge computing traces its genesis to the
(IT) and operations technology (OT) globally distributed networks that made up the
are colliding. The industrial sector is internet in the early 2000s. Large, centralized net-
seeing serious investment in large- and works faced an inherent problem of constrained
small-scale operations to make data bandwidth and latency. To improve responsiveness,
more prolific, available and usable for accelerating it made sense to move resources geographically
operations and solving complex field problems. A closer to the areas that commonly requested them.
key trend underlying this shift is the move towards At the same time, the proliferation of smart devices
edge-oriented, rather than centralized or hierarchi- and the push towards the Internet of Things (IoT)
cal models, of automation system design, generally made computing resources and services more avail-
called edge computing. able locally. The same trends are manifesting them-
selves in the industrial sector, as networks converge
Talking the talk: Terms to create an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
The first thing to understand is edge computing Compared to DCSs, edge-oriented systems are
did not evolve in a vacuum and, in practice, does even more distributed for data processing, storage,
not refer to a single technology. It’s an architectur- and connectivity. These functions are being pushed
al concept related to a larger paradigm called dis- closer to the lowest layers of the automation net-
tributed computing, in which computing resources work, where real-world sensing and control take
are spread throughout a system, rather than central- place. That’s the edge in edge computing.
ized in a master controller or application. Engineers Depending on the scope of the discussion, how-
who have worked with a distributed control system ever, the edge of the network could be considered
(DCS) have already seen this paradigm in action. anything in the last mile of the network and is bet-
Rather than being an evolution of the DCS, ter thought of as being distinct from resources
located in the network core or in the cloud.
The term edge devices can refer to intelligent
field devices, like transmitters, programmable logic
controllers (PLCs), and programmable automation
controllers (PACs), or to edge gateways, like proto-
col converters, routers and industrial PCs (IPCs),
which connect various parts of a network or bridge
disparate networks. Devices like these are becom-
ing more involved in aggregating and normalizing
process data.
Data normalization refers to the process of
reformatting data, adding metadata, removing out-
liers and filling in gaps so core systems and data-
Opto 22’s groov EPIC is an bases can work with data in a consistent format.
edge-oriented evolution of the This becomes important as data is produced and
traditional industrial controller. transmitted at scale by many more, possibly het-
Courtesy: Opto 22 erogeneous, devices and protocols: legacy field-
buses mixed with OPC data, cloud-sourced JSON,

18 • March 2020 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

and new smart wireless formats. Edge devices help
by pre-processing data in the field and eliminating
extraneous data, reducing the demand for network
bandwidth and core processing power.
Industrial edge computing has evolved beyond
improving resource utilization. With more pow-
erful devices at the edge, we can bring new func-
tionality to the process. An industrial edge device
might have the horsepower, for example, to host
visualization, database, communication, or applica-
tions servers for the local process, reducing depen-
dence on high-maintenance PCs and tightening IT
integration.

Four ways to improve

edge computing skills
Edge computing architectures, by design, blend Node-RED is a popular IoT connectivity
previously segregated functions and technologies. tool that makes it easy to share data at the
For OT specialists, capitalizing on this shift may edge. Courtesy: Opto 22
require developing new skills. Among leading skills
for edge computing are system design, networking,
database expertise and security. Here’s a little more
on what is required to develop these skills.
1. System design — An edge-oriented system
Database security and efficiency can be negatively
impacted by the quality of incoming data and the
frequency and type of transactions. Specific soft-
M More
ANSWERS
needs someone who understands how everything ware includes an open-source IoT connectivity tool KEYWORDS: edge
fits together. Edge devices, computer networks, to help share data among edge devices, databas- computing, industrial
controller
and software systems each have specific resource es and cloud services. Another software simplifies
Edge computing is
constraints, and the quality of their interactions database connectivity for industrial applications.
becoming more important
will improve or degrade overall system effec- 4. Security — Physical and cybersecurity can- for engineers as industrial
tiveness. When data is moving across domains, not be taken for granted when data can be stored, and operations technology
interoperability becomes a bigger concern. It’s accessed and managed at many points in a con- (IT/OT) departments
helpful to understand common data exchange for- trol network. Engineers working with this kind become more intertwined.
mats, like JSON, and how to process and organize of network will have to become familiar with the Edge computing
architectures blend
data efficiently in collaboration between many potential risks and the tools used to mitigate them. previously segregated
devices. These factors determine system-wide Engineers need to understand the function and features and functions by
attributes, like scalability, which are becoming implementation of network security devices like design.
more important as we move towards IIoT integra- firewalls, as well as data protection features like Engineers need to
tion over the next decade. authentication, encryption and certification. They develop skills such as
database expertise,
2. Networking — Edge computing improves the also should be able to assess the security profile of
security, and networking.
performance of IT/OT systems in part by using net- new devices and applications before they’re intro-
work resources more efficiently. It helps, then, when duced to the network. ONLINE
working with edge computing systems, if engineers Read this article at
www.controleng.com for
understand how to measure and manage the per- Here comes the edge: additional stories from the
formance of computer networks. Adding several Get ready to jump author linked below.
edge devices pumping out reams of data can slow Do not ignore the inevitability of edge com-
a network to a crawl. If designed correctly, it can puting, or any of the technologies contributing to CONSIDER THIS
What skills do you already
improve responsiveness in the field while reducing IT/OT integration and the move towards IIoT. As
have with edge computing
usage in the core. Implementing efficient commu- everyday devices become more powerful, engi- and what do you need to
nication protocols, like message queuing telemetry neers will be asked to do more with them. This is a work on the most?
transport (MQTT), can further reduce bandwidth trend engineers can get in front of, and will see more
demand. Other factors like scalability and fault-tol- opportunities to create value for internal and exter-
erance also may play a role in network design or the nal customers with the knowledge gained. Engineers
selection of devices and communication protocols. who choose to explore and invest in developing new
3. Database expertise — Databases are impor- knowledge, skills and connections will find doors
tant for data storage, distribution and analysis in opening to them for years to come. ce
IT and OT systems. Edge computing makes them
more connected and numerous, which requires Josh Eastburn, director of technical marketing. Edited
OT specialists to understand something about how by Chris Vavra, associate editor, Control Engineering,
they are designed and how to interact with them. CFE Media and Technology, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

www.controleng.com control engineering March 2020 • 19

ANSWERS
DATA ANALYTICS
Travis Cox, Inductive Automation

Software readiness for data

analytics and Big Data
Expand industrial data access and get more out of it with tools such as
message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) on the way to Industry 4.0 benefits.

A
major aspect of Industry 4.0 is Big Data ture. We need to provide an OT solution that meets
acquisition and analysis to turn data the needs of operators that is plug-and-play, reliable,
into actionable information and enable and scalable.
systems to make decisions on their
own. Despite the presence of new tech- The new architecture
nology, most organizations still use clipboards and This new architecture uses message queuing telem-
paper to gather data and information. In many cases etry transport (MQTT), a publish/subscribe protocol
up to 90% of this data ends up stranded in the field that enables message-oriented middleware architec-
in silos or islands. That presents challenges when try- tures. This is not a new concept in the information
ing to realize the benefits of Industry 4.0. technology (IT) space; enterprise service bus (ESB)
The good news is new technology can help, and has long been used for integration of applications over
there are several simple steps users can take to pre- a bus-like infrastructure. With MQTT, device data is
pare for digital transformation, including getting published by exception to a MQTT server, either on
access to more data, edge computing, data cleansing, the premises or in the cloud. Applications subscribe to
contextualizing data and standarding common data the MQTT server to get data, which means there’s no
structures. need to connect to the end device itself. MQTT pro-
The journey starts with getting access to more vides several benefits:
data — a vital component of Industry 4.0. The oper-
ational world is complex, involving hundreds of dif- • Open standard/interoperable (OASIS stan-
ferent protocols, communication mediums and dard and Eclipse open standard (TAHU))
legacy device knowledge. The reality of digital trans- • Decouples devices from applications
formation is it must be implemented from the bot- • Reports by exception
tom up, with operations technology (OT) on board • Requires little bandwidth
first. It requires a new mentality in keeping systems • Transport layer security
open, interoperable and secure. The first step is get- • Remote-originated connection (outbound
ting access to all the data in an efficient way — with only; no inbound firewall rules)
the ability to easily tap into the data when needed, • Stateful awareness
from any source. • Single source of truth
One of the biggest barriers to data access is legacy • Auto-discovery of tags
software licensing models that charge per tag or user. • Data buffering (store and forward)
These models don’t scale, prohibiting growth. Fur- • Plug-and-play functionality.
thermore, industrial applications have been closed,
proprietary and have limited functionality and con- To get to a new architecture, the answer is edge
nectivity. Today, we require new models that are fun- computing and protocol conversion. Let’s say there are
damentally unlimited and open. These new models 10 Modbus devices connected to a supervisory con-
can unlock new opportunities for expansion and trol and data acquisition (SCADA) system. Users can
greater scalability. deploy one edge gateway with support of Modbus and
Another challenge is balancing the convergence MQTT to push the polling closer to the programma-
of new smart sensors and devices along with exist- ble logic controller (PLC). Users can poll more infor-
ing legacy devices. It’s important to have an infra- mation, potentially at faster rates, and publish the
structure able to support both. It boils down to one, values as they change to a central MQTT server. The
crucial concept: an architecture change. We need to SCADA also can be changed to connect and subscribe
stop connecting legacy devices to applications with to the MQTT server to get the data instead of con-
protocols and, instead, connect devices to infrastruc- necting to the end devices. This is an important step

20 • March 2020 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 MQTT’s publish/
subscribe capabili-
ties streamline com-
munication and help
move polling to the
network edge. Cour-
tesy: Inductive Auto-
mation

for future-proofing a SCADA system. As users acquire

sensors or upgrade equipment that supports MQTT,
data without the proper context.
Using edge gateways with the ability to provide
‘ Users need to
get data access
and ensure the
the SCADA will get data access without having to name, scaling, engineering units, engineering low
know about the end device. and high, documentation and tooltips will provide data is valid, has
other systems crucial information to better under- context and is
Help systems understand the data stand the underlying data.
Not only do users need to get access to the data, part of a com-
but they also need to ensure the data is valid, has Increasing enterprise value
context and is part of a common structure, if appli- The last step is standardizing on common data mon structure...
cable. This is an important step before using ana- structures across the enterprise. This step often is before using
lytics and machine learning. These systems need to skipped because data can be different at each site and

’
understand the data in order to properly use it. Typ- it can be difficult to find a common data model. Ana- analytics.
ically, new sensors and devices already have these lytic packages and machine learning models require
facilities. However, that is not true for legacy devic- data to be in the same structure for common objects.
es. There are hundreds of different polling proto- Users don’t want to have to create different analytics
cols that require mapping and scaling. Most PLCs or machine learning models for each site. This goes
have addressing schemes that are not human-read- beyond an individual data point to a collection of data
able. These mappings commonly exist in SCADA, points for a known object.
but still lack context or may contain invalid data or It’s important to survey each site to find a com-
are not part of a standard data structure. mon model and use an edge gateway that
The best place to handle this step is in the edge
gateway that connects to the PLC. It requires soft-
ware that has features in place to clean data, add
supports user defined types (UDTs). This
means adapting the data at each site to fit
the model, which can include scaling, cal-
M More
ANSWERS
context and support data structure. culated tags, conversions and more. This is KEYWORDS: message queuing
telemetry transport, Big Data,
Let’s start with cleaning data. Suppose there’s a so the data appears as the same structure MQTT
sensor connected to the PLC and the signal drops on the surface while hiding the complexity Big Data acquisition and
out sometimes. When the signal drops out, the behind the scenes. analysis to turn data into
value in the PLC drops to 0. It may be possible for The journey begins with operational actionable information is a major
the value to equal 0, however, not when the last infrastructure and solving the problem of aspect of Industry 4.0.
value was 50. In this case, it’s important to look at getting data into an infrastructure. Users Current architectures use
the delta to determine whether or not we should can’t get to analytics and machine learning message queuing telemetry
transport (MQTT) to help
ignore the current value. Setting up a calculated tag until they have access to data. This data understand the data.
with that logic can solve this problem. It’s impor- needs to be valid and have context to be Users need constant access to
tant to ensure the data is valid closest to the source understood. Users can take small steps to the data being generated and it
before using it with other systems. realize the potential benefits of these tech- needs to have a valid context.
Another crucial step is providing context to nologies by adopting this new mentality ONLINE
the data. For example, a user can have a Modbus and architecture. ce Read this article at
PLC with a tag referencing 40001. In SCADA, we www.controleng.com for more
would map that to a tag name like “Ambient Tem- Travis Cox is co-director of sales engi- stories from the author.
perature.” If that’s the only data we have, we don’t neering at Inductive Automation. Edited CONSIDER THIS
know if the temperature is Celsius or Fahrenheit by Chris Vavra, associate editor, Control What are you doing to
and what the low and high range is. Analytics and Engineering, CFE Media and Technology, streamline data acquisition to
machine learning models will provide incorrect cvavra@cfemedia.com. better prepare for Industry 4.0?

www.controleng.com control engineering March 2020 • 21

ANSWERS
DATA ANALYTICS, CLOUD COMPUTING
Megan Buntain, Seeq

Cloud-based analytics
for manufacturing
Industrial organizations already are realizing the benefits of cloud computing
for IT and business workloads, providing a path to manufacturing deployments.

C
loud computing is recognized by indus- much more data of different types with the near infi-
trial organizations as a key enabler for nite scalability of computing resources. This empow-
storing and analyzing data in volumes ers employees to solve an increasing array of complex
that seemed unfathomable even a few business challenges in near real-time.
years ago. This is important because
many organizations start and end their digital trans- Defining cloud-based analytics terms
formation strategy with the idea that better use of Cloud-based analytics is a broad term referring
vast amounts of financial, customer, supply chain to several layers of computing capabilities. First is the
and operational data will improve operational effi- underlying cloud infrastructure, the operating system
ciency and create new business models. and hardware layers, required to host data and appli-
If cloud-based analytics tools are not in use cations in the cloud. On top of that infrastructure is
today by a manufacturer’s process engineers, the data management layer, in a cloud service or
another department is likely using them. For a data lake, where various types of data are stored
example, an HR department is using software to including structured and unstructured text-based
analyze employee data, or analysts in sales and data, video data, and streaming IoT data. Applica-
marketing are working to review demand for spe- tions in the analytics layer make use of this data.
cific products and services. While these are con- Calculations are performed to supply the visualiza-
sidered productivity or business intelligence tion layer with the information required for trend-
applications, they are also the entry point for ing, reporting, dashboards and other insights.
cloud-based analytics in most companies. In manufacturing, analytics has traditional-
To implement digital transformation strategies, ly been done on premises using a combination of
there has been a rise of cloud-based analytics — appli- historian data and spreadsheet analytics for ad hoc
cations, tools, and techniques deployed in the cloud diagnostic, predictive, or operational dashboards
instead of on premises — enabling organizations to for the plant, but that is changing as cloud-based
quickly gain data insights. The cloud is streamlin- analytics’ benefits are being realized.
ing this process because it enables rapid insights on
Expected benefits
Applications deployed in the cloud benefit from
Figure 1: The core cloud capabilities. First is the cloud’s rental model
cloud can be versus the capital cost associated with hardware and
used to make infrastructure. A company’s information technology
data available (IT) department no longer has to provision and main-
to the machine tain expensive servers to host these applications, and
learning algo- the result is a pay-as-you-go model where computing
rithms used in resources are spun up and down on demand.
advanced analyt- One example is a web store that does 90% of its
ics applications. business in the weeks leading up to the holiday sea-
All images cour- son. Before the cloud, that retailer had to purchase
tesy: Seeq enough servers to handle the website traffic for the
“burst” of demand at the peak, while remaining
largely idle the rest of the year.
In an industrial context, as subject matter
experts (SMEs) leverage new analytics tools to gain

22 • March 2020 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

Figure 2: Employees in different departments
can access cloud-based data and analytics
worldwide.
Figure 3: SMEs use Seeq to directly interact with data of interest
and find insights.
more insight into their operational data, more flex-

‘
ibility is required. SMEs may want to analyze new
data sources such as operational data and contex-
tual data, and organizations may need to make ana- IT teams must resist the temptation
lytics tools available to more SMEs and other users
to enable better collaboration and decision-making. to summarize process data in the cloud
Another driving factor for cloud adoption is the
ability to explore new types of analytics such as mak- or apply business rules before connecting
ing historical and near real-time process data available

’
for machine learning (Figure 1). Many manufactur- cloud analytics application to the data.
ers don’t want to run machine learning models within
their real-time control systems, but they do want to
take advantage of these and other advanced capabili- to insight and productive action. The more SMES are
ties for improving product quality, predicting optimal provided with relevant, easy-to-use, flexible analytics
maintenance windows to prevent unplanned down- applications, the more rapid return on investment.
time and other purposes. Copying operational data One note of caution in operational data and
to the cloud makes it available for machine learning, cloud computing models is IT teams must resist the
enabling new analytics models to be explored without temptation to summarize process data in the cloud
the risk of impacting the source production data or or apply business rules before connecting cloud
any existing applications relying on that data. analytics application to the data. When
Cloud-based analytics makes it easy to break down
data silos so users can access and connect to data
regardless of its source. Once those silos are connect-
data is summarized, someone without
direct knowledge of the asset or pro-
cess is predetermining what SMEs might
M More
ANSWERS
ed via the cloud, SMEs and other users (Figure 2) can be interested in exploring, which can KEYWORDS: cloud-based
scale up analytics to sites around the world and create diminish its potential impact. The best analytics, cloud software
ways of viewing global operational reporting to ensure practice here is store all the data in its Cloud-based analytics allow
manufacturers and subject matter
the best possible business impact is achieved. native form so SMEs others can make experts (SMEs) to receive data
decisions at analytics time about how faster.
Cloud analytics: Getting started and what to modify, for example data SMEs can leverage the data and
When implementing cloud-based analytics, it’s cleansing and access to any data set for find unique insights to improve
important to begin with the end in mind. Too often investigation and model development. operational efficiency.
energy and manufacturing companies spend con- Cloud-based analytics makes it
easy to break down data silos so
siderable time planning for and migrating data and Cloud success stories users can access and connect to
applications to the cloud, only to ask, “What now?” An energy company with more than 50 data regardless of its source.
after the data is moved. Moving data or aggregating operational sites dispersed across a large
ONLINE
data in a cloud data lake doesn’t make it more valu- and geographically challenging environ-
Read about additional examples
able; it’s a step along the way to implementing a com- ment was able to implement cloud-based of specific success stories on
prehensive data analytics strategy. analytics successfully by starting with www.controleng.com with the
The surest way to avoid this outcome is ensur- six engineers at one site. These engineers story “Workloads in the cloud for
ing SMEs are involved early in any analytics project. identified three use cases: asset integri- industrial manufacturers.”
Only people with deep process expertise and a view ty monitoring and performance trending, CONSIDER THIS
of the unique impact of individual units within broad- predictive maintenance and production What benefits could your plant
er operational procedures can ensure this data leads forecasting. gain from cloud-based analytics?

www.controleng.com control engineering March 2020 • 23

ANSWERS
DATA ANALYTICS, CLOUD COMPUTING

Within 90 days, the team had scaled up to more cloud approach with edge analytics, which maintains
than 50 engineers in more than 10 locations work- some computing and analytics resources at the edge
ing with these use cases to connect new sources of or close to the data source with results delivered to the
data by leveraging shared cloud deployment and cloud when the network is available.
collaboration capabilities. This unlocked the cre- The manufacturing industry is still in the early
ativity of these engineers to find dozens of addition- days of cloud-based analytics, but critical implemen-
al use cases to finding insights and improve asset tation learnings are emerging. Companies must keep
availability and production outcomes (Figure 3). SMEs at the center of any analytics effort, and they can
By starting small and leveraging the cloud to leverage the cloud to scale up and down to connect
scale up analytics quickly, the project owners mea- data silos. Raw data must be kept whole to ensure ana-
sured the business impact, building their business lytics and insights are flexible. Collaboration across
case to get more users and sites on board. teams and sites also must be ensured to realize returns
The next step for the organization is to connect and broaden the potential business impact.
additional IoT data from their remote locations, Coupling the right advanced analytics software
keeping two critical factors in mind, network laten- with cloud platforms in use by most organizations will
cy and analytics performance. Users won’t use cum- help yield benefits in improved operations. ce
bersome analytics tools with poor performance and
excessive delays, so these factors must be addressed. Megan Buntain, director of cloud partnerships,
Before cloud implementation, reporting from these Seeq Corp. Edited by Chris Vavra, associate editor,
remote locations was offline and manual. Control Engineering, CFE Media and Technology,
To solve these issues, the company is using a hybrid cvavra@cfemedia.com.

Seeq partners with AWS and Microsoft Azure

T
o meet demands from end entists to derive more value from TSI customers and the Azure Mar-
users in industrial plants and data already collected by accelerat- ketplace. Seeq hosts user groups
facilities, software of all types ing analytics, publishing, and deci- at Microsoft Technology Center
is moving to the cloud, and advanced sion making.” offices.

‘
analytics is no exception. In response Data scientists can use Seeq to
to these demands, Seeq is available access time series data that has
in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Leveraging expertise of been cleansed, contextualized, and
Marketplace and the Microsoft Azure engineers and machine modeled in Seeq for analysis with
Marketplace, enabling end users to learning accelerates machine learning algorithms in

’
rapidly investigate and share insights AWS SageMaker or Azure Machine
business value.
from process manufacturing data Learning. This enables new oppor-
stored on premise or in the AWS or tunities for collaboration between
Microsoft clouds. As previously announced, Seeq is data scientists in IT organizations
Seeq achieved the AWS Indus- availabile as a software as a service and subject matter experts in man-
trial Software Competency, the (SaaS) offering on Microsoft Azure, ufacturing facilities to improve pro-
highest tier for Amazon Partner addressing demand for cloud-based duction outcomes.
Network (APN) Technology Part- analytics solutions from custom- “Leveraging both the exper-
ners. Doing so requires passing a ers around the globe in the oil and tise of the engineers and machine
rigorous technical review of avail- gas, pharmaceutical, chemical, ener- learning innovations, leading-edge
ability and deployment guidelines gy, mining, food and beverage, and solutions like Seeq enable organi-
for secure, high-performing, resil- other process industries. zations to gain intelligence from
ient, and efficient cloud applica- The cooperation provides sup- operations and obtain business
tions. Seeq employees certified on port for Microsoft Azure Directory value very quickly,” observes Jan-
AWS technologies and customer Service, Azure data stores, Micro- ice Abel, principal analyst at ARC
references met the requirements. soft Windows Server and AD—with Advisory Group. “Seeq is designed
Steve Sliwa, CEO of Seeq said, SQL Server and Office 365 integra- for ease of use by a variety of plant
“By leveraging the agility of AWS, tion. Seeq plans to soon announce employees, making it simple and
Seeq enables process engineers, Azure Time Series Insights (TSI) sup- quick for them to find and share
managers, teams, and data sci- port in response to request from insights in their data.”

24 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

 We understand you need insightful process
information to help you run your plant e�ciently.

MEASURED VALUE
+ ADDED VALUE You make confident decisions backed by process data and
a complete portfolio of services and solutions to support you.

Customers around the world trust us when it comes to

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input #10 at www.controleng.com/information

ANSWERS
STANDARDS UPDATE
Thomas J. Burke, Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc., previously with the OPC Foundation

Intrinsic value of standards

Analysis: Collaborate to help standards enhance return on investment
for technologies used in factory automation and process automation.

H
ow can the value proposition of stan- Ten years ago, NAMUR was a driving force
dards be measured for standards orga- across process industries to standardize on device
nization, end users, and technology configuration and asset management. Every major
suppliers? process automation supplier was involved in this
effort, contributing significant amounts of resourc-
1. For standards organizations developing open es in money and people to develop a standard and
standards, the real value proposition is measuring to make standards jointly owned by the standards
success by the level of adoption. Standards orga- organizations. One specific standardization activity
nizations help drive technologies and play a very was FDI, and the standards organizations involved
important role in contributing to new and emerg- in this included OPC Foundation and organizations
ing technologies and how they are deployed across for FDT, Profinet, Foundation Fieldbus, and HART.
industries. The focus of standard organizations in A multiple-year effort helped suppliers to deliver a
the ever changing world of technology is to deliv- standardized device model to end users. The resulting
er standards, technology, process and certification technology is being used by distributed control system
focused at solving real world problems. (DCS) vendors, and is managed by the FieldComm
Group. (See related FieldComm Group article.)
2. For end users to prepare for numerous technical
innovations beyond the horizon, the most important Usable standards
technology and standards strategy is working closely Standards organizations used to be in business
with suppliers to identify and develop the right stan- to just develop standards and often did not deliver
dards to achieve success in factory automation and pro- a standard that was worth more than the “paper” it
cess automation. Benefits derive from collaborating to was printed on. Often standards were developed as
develop a complete open system architecture or by stan- a means to an end by a single supplier. One suppli-
dardizing on the data and information models for their er would partner with other companies for the pri-
respective industries. A number of initiatives involve mary purpose of adopting the standard they were
suppliers working under the direction of end-users and developing. Over the years, many standards orga-
end-user organizations. nizations recognized the need to develop standards
that suppliers would widely use in products and
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
3. For suppliers, inte- systems. Success of standards in consumer indus-
grating useful standards tries has had a significant impact on standards
into products helps organizations and in industrial automation.
TIME STANDARDS TIME
enhance customer return
EFFORT MAKING EFFORT on investment (ROI) and IT, OT convergence
makes suppliers’ prod- Other developments feeding more effective stan-
ucts, software and servic- dards include:
RETURN ON INVESTMENT es more useful. Suppliers
know that to be compet- • Popularity of solution strategies
Time and effort itive they must deliver products and services that • Convergence of information technology (IT)
that goes into embrace interoperability with their competitors. The and operations technology (OT)
standards making end-users have diverse sets of requirements for auto- • Ability to integrate data from the OT world
should create large mation, and typically have hardware, networks and (factory floor, for example) into the IT
benefits for end software products from a multitude of different com- applications.
users and suppliers panies. The days of a single vendor and single net-
involved. Courtesy: work being used by an end-user are gone. End-users OT and IT worlds differ, but both sides have rec-
Control Engineer- also need integration between IT and OT systems ognized the need for integrating data and informa-
ing, CFE Media and and the value of standards play a very important role tion among and between their systems. Industry
Technology in IT and OT convergence. Continued on page 34

26 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

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input #11 at www.controleng.com/information

ANSWERS
STANDARDS UPDATE
Ted Masters, FieldComm Group

Standards capture stranded

data, help with device design,
data integration
Integrated systems and standards help support advanced information technology
(IT) and operations technology (OT) collaboration and optimization in three key
ways. Also see four advantages of future process automation facilities.

I
t’s an exciting time of technology revolution the next generation appreciates the challenges of
across industries, and integrated standards operating a complex, and sometimes hazardous,
are helping. While most home devices can be process automation plant, requires collaboration
accessed on computers and smart phones and across multiple functional disciplines. It is project-
automotive technologies have advanced to ed approximately 75% of the global workforce will
self-parking and near self-driving vehicles, process be millennials by 2025, according to a Forbes Mag-
industries are progressing at a more careful pace. azine article, “What The Ideal Workplace Of The
There is inherent risk in disrupting good process- Future Looks Like, According To Millennials.”
es and complex systems. However, we are in an era
of real change as a new generation of workers move IT and OT collaboration:
into the leadership positions that drive this evolu- 3 benefits
tionary transformation. FieldComm Group is aware of the culture
The manufacturing industry, once resistant to change of collaboration between IT and OT and is
collaboration between information technology (IT) managing standards development to address exist-
and operations technology (OT) teams, now realiz- ing products and the next generation of products
es collaboration is a critical factor to success. Edu- based on a new set of technologies. The vision has
cating the current workforce on IT, while assuring been clear with the following plans in place:

1. Assist the installed base by making it easier

to capture stranded data

2. Design specifications for new devices with

technologies for the next generation

3. Drive the adoption of FDI (Field Device Inte-

gration) technology to create a bridge
to the next generation, with seamless stan-
dardized device integration, regardless of
the supplier or protocol.

FieldComm Group (FCG) is closely aligned with

the Namur Open Architecture (NOA) as a means
of digitalization since it does not disrupt existing
systems and provides a path for migrating users
Figure 1: Technology advancements will allow more future work- to a digitalized approach. NAMUR is the User
ers to more effectively provide benefits from higher-level tools. All Association of Automation Technology in Process
images courtesy: FieldComm Group Industries.

28 • March 2020 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

Figure 2: Ethernet-
APL and PA-DIM
technologies will
increase the data
rate and data inte-
gration and infor-
mation availability
for process auto-
mation.

Process automation open architecture

‘
The NAMUR open architecture proposes future
process automation facilities will: A 25-year-old HART-based device
1. Continue to use existing instrumentation using FDI can co-exist with a new
protocols

2. Make use of new high-speed and IP-based Ethernet-APL device of the future and
physical layers
both use the same information model
3. Take advantage of simplified integration tools

’
to move plant floor data throughout the glob-
al enterprise
to provide data to the cloud.
4. Use one-way communications out of the core
process control domain to reduce cybersecu- Two-wire Ethernet
rity threats. In working to develop next generation of field
devices based on Ethernet-APL [two-wire-based
Namur Open Architecture provides an approach advanced physical layer for Ethernet], the PA-DIM
for using field devices supporting OPC UA (OPC can be resident local on the device. The benefit to
Foundation) as the data exchange technology. users is a 25-year-old HART-based device using
Working jointly with OPC Foundation, FCG has FDI can co-exist with a new Ethernet-APL device
developed a new OPC UA based standard to rep- of the future and both use the same information
licate the most common set of field device param- model to provide data to the cloud, and the cloud
eters in process instruments. The technology is won’t know the difference.
called PA-DIM (process automation device infor- Together, new technologies of Ethernet-APL,
mation model). PA-DIM adds specificity to the FDI and PA-DIM provide the highway to digital
standard OPC UA device information specifica- transformation for existing instrumentation and
tion and defines core parameters to establish a stan- new system architectures and data models.
dard set of data for each class of process automation FDI plays a major role in this change, helping
device. PA-DIM also delivers these parameters in users worry less about a device’s protocol and care
machine-readable format enabling use by applica- more about how they can use data, instead. Sim-
tions, independent of the supplier or protocol that plifying the device’s integration into systems or the
delivers it. cloud is the purpose of the “FDI Device Package,”

www.controleng.com control engineering March 2020 • 29

ANSWERS
STANDARDS UPDATE

Figure 3: NAMUR Open Architecture makes room for existing instruments, a more capable industrial Ethernet for
process automation in 2010, Ethernet-APL, and a plant floor-to-cloud information model (PA-DIM).

the new standard “container” of all relevant infor- Results of this collaboration contributes to
mation needed around a device. The FDI Device emerging technologies that make it easier for
Package is supported as the new standard by HART industries to use data to run enterprises better,
Communication Protocol, Foundation Fieldbus, protect the value of investments and future-proof
ISA100 Wireless Systems for Automation, FDT operations. ce
(Field Device Tool, FDT Group) and Profibus (PI
North America). Ted Masters is president and CEO of FieldComm
Group. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager,

‘
Control Engineering, CFE Media and Technology,
mhoske@cfemedia.com.
Standards organizations must work
together in the age of digitalization
to align on standards that are best M More
ANSWERS
KEYWORDS: HART, Foundation Fieldbus, FDI,

’
for the industry. FieldComm Group
IT and OT integration
Industrial standards organizations collaborate
Ethernet and open process automation advances.
No desire for more standards?
At the end of the day, collaboration is the key. CONSIDER THIS
Standards organizations must work together in the Are you looking at how standards can add to your
age of digitalization to align on standards that are competitiveness?
best for the industry. Users and suppliers don’t want ONLINE
more standards; which means we need to agree If reading from the digital edition, click on the headline
on which ones work best for the many use cases for more resources and links.
incurred for digitalization. Collaboration among www.controleng.com/magazine
industry organizations is helping align key industry www.controleng.com/networking-and-security/
issues, such as cybersecurity, next-generation field www.fieldcommgroup.org
devices, integration and information models. www.namur.net/en/index.html

30 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

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ANSWERS
STANDARDS UPDATE: SMART FACTORY
Jerzy Greblicki, AIUT Sp. z o.o

Automation of auxiliary
processes is the key to the
smart factory
The essence of a factory, based on the Industry 4.0 technology, will be
to incorporate further areas and production structures into already automated
ecosystem of key processes and a digital expansion should be radical.

M
arket demand is continuously available market technologies. A good example is the
evolving, which is forcing com- evolution of the competence of AGV robots. These
panies to reorganize their existing autonomous vehicles are supported by natural navi-
production strategies. Based on gation and operate safely with plant staff.
traditional automation systems,
plants have looked for ways to reduce downtime, Radical approach to process
organize a safe work environment using mobile automation: new optics
automated guided vehicle (AGV) robots and collab- The automation of key production process-
orative robots, and take advantage of the potential of es will soon cease to be sufficient. Manufactur-
advanced analysis of data acquired within the imple- ers seek further areas of optimization, but certain
mented Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem. conditions and challenges exist. The consumer
For the best possible management of real-time market is hungry for new products. Consumers
manufacturing process, it is crucial to expect customization, which is forcing production
enhance the competence of the IoT eco- lines to create shorter product runs. The expect-
M More
ANSWERS
system in the management of auxilia-
ry processes and company resources.
According to the concept of Industry 4.0
ed competences and requirements of employees
also is growing because of this growing consum-
er demand.
KEYWORDS: Automated guided
vehicles, AGVs, robotics all production processes should be inte- Factories have faced a shortage of qualified
The rise of robots on the grated, monitored and analyzed to achieve workforce in selected areas. The automation and
plant floor is changing how the best management based on the actu- robotization of processes, where a human being
manufacturers utilize their staff al state of the factory. In this way, tech- can be replaced by a machine, is a business need for
and operations to better realize a
Smart Factory. nology can inform people of the need manufacturers. It is necessary to extend the scope
Companies need to move out for repairs and anticipate possible break- of automation with additional processes, which is
of their comfort zone and force downs, making downtime less likely. what the radical automation concept says.
themselves to meet customer In an ideal scenario, a production The approach to the automation process should
demand, which is becoming line is implemented with the use of vir- be holistic and include all business-relevant areas
more customized.
tual commissioning technology, which and resources of the manufacturing company,
A polymorphic plant floor will
increases flexibility and find
allows to test software, simulate mechan- which will be combined into one coherent commu-
better uses for human and robot ics and process automation, and as a nication ecosystem. This should be treated in terms
workers alike. result to detect design errors — in the of automation of processes, which until now have
ONLINE virtual sphere. This shortens the time of been overlooked or postponed. It should be empha-
www.controleng.com/
actual start-up, especially of large pro- sized the goal of process improvement is not to
international, www.aiut.com duction lines. exclude people.
At the same time, system suppliers can Intelligent production assumes cooperation
CONSIDER THIS
integrate the best digital transformation between a human and a robot, and optimization of
What does your company
see for its Smart Factory and
technologies according to the needs of the only those processes in which it is justified: where a
what steps are they taking to plant. Individual approaches to digitaliza- human is not needed or will not want to be needed
implement it? tion of auxiliary processes will depend on in the future.

32 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

 Moreover, as Ben Reynolds notes in his book
“The Coming Revolution: Capitalism in the 21st
Century:” “(…) automation does not always lead
to a decrease in demand for [hu]manpower (…)”.
History shows there are certain structural causes
for radical automation. We may also have to accept
we will never have enough skilled production
workers available within the workforce to keep
pace with expanding processes.
A human being is supposed to be an added
value thanks to his unique competences. A plant’s
staff is irreplaceable in those areas of production
and logistics where the process’ complexity makes
implementing traditional automation economi-
cally unjustified and difficult to accept temporar-
ily or when we talk about supervisory processes.
In addition, increasing personnel competencies,
with the simultaneous popularization of robotics,
allow manufacturers to better utilize the potential
of employees in other areas.
In this perspective, a holistic, radical approach The automation and robotization of processes, where a human being
to automation should be understood in two ways. can be replaced by a machine, is a business need for many manufac-
First of all, it is a radical increase in involvement turers. Courtesy: AIUT, Control Engineering Poland
in process automation, exceeding the company’s

‘
expectations. It also is a radically expanded sense
of which production and auxiliary processes can
be under automation. With Industry 4.0 concepts, all production
It pays to leave a comfort zone processes should be integrated, monitored
Excellence in traditional automation has led to
the development of radical automation technology and analyzed to achieve the best management

’
with the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) solu-
tions. According to the International Data Corp. based on the actual state of the factory.
(IDC), today’s IoT market in Central and Eastern
Europe is valued at more than $11 billion. Howev- These self-propelled robots can cooperate with
er, as with any new direction, the approach to the the system of internal location in the space of pro-
digitalization of subsequent processes in plants is duction halls, which provides a full picture of the
considered in terms of profit and risk. current status of moving objects, which allows for
Factories need to see their way out of the com- a very accurate analysis of traffic and further opti-
fort zone where, based on the automation of key mizations related to, among others, the deployment
processes, a certain level of efficiency has been of fixed elements and the management of work of
achieved that meets current demand, or deficien- people.
cies are not yet severe enough to invest in new Systems that increase the scope of competence
areas. The development of the IoT ecosystem, are the essence of an intelligent factory. The biggest
based on the automation of auxiliary processes, advantage, and at the same time the market expec-
will determine the long-term development of the tation, is short implementation time and unprec-
organization and the growth of its position on the edented flexibility and versatility of AGV robot
market. cooperation. Moreover, the latest security systems
allow for direct cooperation with people, which
Autonomous AGV with means there is no need to separate closed zones in
facility location system production or warehouse areas.
The new quality of service in the area of auto-
mation of internal logistics processes is visible in Polymorphic production will
the case of autonomous AGVs, which in the area make a factory more flexible
of navigation are adapted to the needs of the plant. Companies striving to improve the produc-
Cognitive analysis enables the systems to make tion chain with digitalization of new areas, but also
independent decisions in real time and adapt pro- with the use of new solutions, can be improved and
duction processes to the existing situation, without extended. The consumer market is mature. New
a participation of an operator. expectations and customer habits have pushed fac-

www.controleng.com control engineering March 2020 • 33

 ANSWERS
STANDARDS UPDATE: SMART FACTORY

tories in the direction where not only quality and try will become one of the sectors that will use the
speed of production are important, but also flexible IoT technologies to the greatest extent. Acquisition
production process management, as manufacturers and intelligent analysis of data in factories allows
strive to keep up with the needs of buyers. automation and synchronization of work, as well as

‘
This modern
approach is
New consumer trends are a challenge for tra-
ditional models, where the automation of key
production processes has once been established,
implemented and operated. A rigid supply market
reduction of repair costs by preventing possible fail-
ures and increasing security. This increases the effi-
ciency and profitability of the whole institution.
It is important for the manufacturer to have a
crucial to pro- today leads to more constraints than development. well-defined business or operational goal, which
This means the need for a new look at the imple- can be shared with an IoT and Big Data partner.
duce a short mented ecosystems of production management and From here, the company will create an ecosystem
the creation of new solutions such as polymorphic of information exchange between the plant’s sys-
product run. production. Its aim is to expand key manufacturing tems and its environment. Although there are many

’ processes by assigning additional positions or entire

production lines in virtual and real space.
In such a system, new nests can be serviced
by collaborative robots and mobile AGV robots,
ways of organizing such cooperation — from con-
sulting and technical support — it is the model of
responsibility for the process responsibility as a ser-
vice (PRaaS), where the parties implement common
which, in a simplified way, see the production line key performance indicators (KPIs), which becomes
virtually. This is a modern approach and is crucial the most business-desired model of cooperation. ce
in the context of producing, among other things, a
short product run. Jerzy Greblicki is a director of Radical Automation
branch and an Industry 4.0 Management Advis-
Technology integrators: er in the company AIUT Sp. z o.o., one of the larg-
what to expect from them? est European system integrators for the industry. This
In the latest report “IoT in the Polish economy,” was posted on Control Engineering Poland Jan. 8
commissioned by The Ministry of Digital Affairs, and edited for Control Engineering North American
market experts predict the manufacturing indus- edition.

M More
ANSWERS
Continued from page 26

standards play a very important role in

sumer electronics resulted in standards adopted by
suppliers and used in products that end users want.
Industrial end users and suppliers are overwhelmed
KEYWORDS: Industrial
networking standards, IT and OT convergence. Examples of end by a multitude of available technical innovations
interoperability, IT/OT user and supplier collaboration include available. It is important harmonization and stan-
collaboration initiatives and standardization like MDIS, dardization is achieved. Standards and technologies
Standards organizations open process automation, Open-SCS, need to solve real-world problems to be relevant.
help drive technologies and VDMA, OMAC, and MTConnect. The
contribute to new and emerging
technologies and how they are
OPC Foundation recognized the impor- Standards, interoperability, value
deployed. tance of collaborating with standards orga- There are many opportunities for standards that
Operations technology (OT) nizations that were involved in developing allow true plug-and-play interoperability and lever-
and information technology their own information models for their age technologies involved in adaptive learning and
(IT) users recognize the need respective industries. The OPC UA archi- machine learning. Older programming models
to collaborate and harmonize tecture facilitates these standard organiza- for many devices have changed as technology has
through common standards.
tions developing companion specifications advanced and programming environments have stan-
Organizations need to develop
the right standards to be relevant to integrate their information models into dardized and commoditized. Multiple standards orga-
for end users and manufacturers. the OPC UA infrastructure. nizations compete for space as they recognize the
Standards organizations need to rec- importance of harmonization. If they want to be suc-
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If reading from the digital tions need not compete. Many opportuni- dards at Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. and past
edition, click on the headline for ties exist to pursue standards convergence president and executive director of the OPC Founda-
more resources. and harmonization. tion. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Con-
www.controleng.com/magazine Successful standardization in con- trol Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com.

34 • March 2020 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

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ANSWERS
INSIDE PROCESS
Allan Kern, APC Performance LLC

Advanced process control:

More answers for optimization
After a webcast on “Advanced process control: Past, present and future,”
more answers to audience questions are provided by the webcast speaker
covering advanced process control (APC) to help with process optimization.

A
dvanced process control (APC) com-
prises a number of tools and tech- Question: Please explain more about how MPC
niques whose common characteristic has invested a lot of unplanned resources.
is taking process automation beyond
the limits of single-loop control and Answer: Model-predictive control (MPC) has
into the realm of multi-loop (or multivariable) con- invested a lot of resources over the last several decades,
trol. The Jan. 9 webcast, “Advanced process con- users and suppliers. The question is whether that has
trol: Past, present and future,” aims to help process been done in a planned or unplanned way. The indus-
engineers (also known as production or operation try should have evolved towards multi-loop control
engineers) increase understanding of how modern (MLC) — more agile, lower cost, easier to use tools.
control systems can improve process performance But instead, most effort has been struggling with
and optimization. model quality, optimizers, and matrix design. The
At the end of the webcast, registrants view- struggle continues and the cost and complexity of
ing live ask questions. Below are additional ques- ownership has not come down; if anything, cost and
tions and answers the webcast didn’t have time to complexity have increased.
address. Industry has learned why these issues won’t be
solved (in the case of modeling), or why maybe they
are not worth solving at this point (in the case of
optimization). Industry should move on to more
manageable and promising APC 2.0 solutions with
the benefit of this experience.

Q: How can the “mighty matrix” be more sig-

nificant in APC than models can?

A: This is a good question; the matrix is a rela-

tively simple concept, while model-based control is
a very advanced control concept, so logically counts
for more. But the point is, like a single-loop trend vs.
the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) algorithm
itself, the matrix is a simple tool that allows better
visualization and understanding of multivariable con-
trol, and ultimately that can be more impactful than
the nitty-gritty of the algorithm, if that makes sense.
Also, industry is realizing more ways to do multi-
Industry expected model-predictive control (MPC) to naturally expand variable control beyond MPC. The matrix is a basic
into the multi-loop control (MLC) region, but that never happened; underlying tool, regardless of how it’s carried out —
MPC costs of ownership remain high and MPC remains primarily a manually, MLC, or MPC.
high-end solution. MLC represents an important, but under-developed
part of the APC matrix spectrum. Images courtesy: Control Engineer- Q: What industries other than HPI do you have
ing webcast, Advanced process control: Past, present and future. experience? What is the longest in-service appli-

P1 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

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ANSWERS
INSIDE PROCESS

cation you have? How prominent are services in A: The first and often most important benefit is the
long-term APC support? intrinsic benefit of closing loops. Everyone in process
control understands this is the goal. In many applica-
A: The MLC tools mentioned are available already, tions, this is sufficient justification, especially if cost
with some applications having been online sever- is low (MPC cost is high, so greater justification has
al years. The controllers have run essentially 100% been needed). In MLC, just like MPC, in some appli-
uptime and maintenance free. I have worked in hydro- cations, benefits can be quite high. I’m working an
carbon processing industry (HPI), chemicals, and application now that is estimated to be worth sever-
power. L&A, the system integration firm mentioned al hundred thousand dollars annually. In APC 1.0, it’s
above, has experience in virtually all industries: oil, been well known that a large part of the benefits often
gas, chemicals, power, paper and some commodities. come from just a few variables or just a few models,
not the entire matrix. Performance monitoring is an
Q: Does an APC guarantee plant running at accidental sideline — one of the unplanned activi-
optimal conditions? Does multi-loop ensure this? ties, and essentially impossible, as I mentioned under
performance criteria — error minimization vs. safe
driving habits. Under MLC, I see performance moni-
toring, under MPC, going away.

Q: What about APC creates value?

A: The obvious and intrinsic benefits of closing

loops provide value and simple, reliable MLC con-
trol. That’s important.

Q: Regarding adaptive gain, when should non-

linear gain be used?

A: I would emphasize using cascade where pos-

sible. Cascade and adaptive gain are complementary.
Cascade linearizes gain, instead of using adaptive gain.
Beyond that, I’m not a big fan of adaptive gain
in practice. It is useful as a learning tool, to illus-
trate how control algorithms work, but is often
troublesome in practice. Like unnecessary use of
feedforward, adaptive gain requires assuring the
model matches the process, and if not, perfor-
Using the same definitions are an intuitive way to understand advanced mance may be made worse for all your trouble.
process control (APC), and its role in process operation, something Nor am I a big fan of gap gain in level control,
industry has definitely lacked throughout the model-predictive control something which also gets more attention than it
(MPC) era. Faster progress can happen with shared understanding. warrants, in my view. See “Top 10 tuning tips for
control engineers.” In most cases, I would rather use
an average gain (or the minimum gain, as the appli-
A: APC guarantees the plant is running at opti- cation dictates) and see if I can live with that.
mal conditions, if:
Q: When talking about APC, where do split-
1. The APC application itself is running. range control, ratio control, and the Smith pre-
2. It is not wrongly constrained or defeated by dictor fit in?
pinched limits, clamped manipulated vari-
ables (MVs), etc. A: I would place these in the category of advanced
3. It has the correct matrix. regulatory control (ARC). These are all important
4. MPC complexity and fragility have worked tools to have in your box, along with feedforward and
against achieving these, as has the large override. And maybe also adaptive gain or cascade.
matrix design paradigm.
5. A goal of MLC is to transcend these “fragile” Q: What is the operating envelope?
sources of breakage.
A: Slides 20 and 21 in the webcast (and at right)
Q: What about benefit estimation, performance show a pentagon representing the operating envelope.
monitoring and maintenance? The circle is the minute-to-minute operating region,

P3 • March 2020 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

while the pentagon is the overall envelope (or win-
dow). The two-step goal of APC is to put the operat-
ing region within the envelope, and then move it in a
direction of greater optimization to the extent it can.

Q: Aren’t models still needed (lag time, process

gain and dead time) for controller tuning?

A: Yes. As a feedback controller, MLC (or my

version, model-less multivariable control called
XMC), will have some basic tuning needs, but also
latitude in reliable values, and with a conservative
or safe direction to err on the side of stable per-
formance. It’s similar to PID in this regard, but is
unlike MPC, which depends on model accuracy.

Q: How would you know when to go for MPC,

and not end up with a bunch of MLC solutions?

A: Appropriate MPC applications are well estab- mating the way the operating team already knows how With closed loop
lished by now. Use the technique shown in the pre- to manage constraints and optimize variables. multi-loop control
sentation to identify MLC applications. In most (MLC), processes
cases, the applications will be operationally prob- Q: A major process industry software provid- operate closer
lematic, in terms of creating numerous operator er... now offers online dynamic model updating in to targets and
interventions and alarms, i.e. most applications will a couple of forms. Are you familiar with this and limits, because
“find you”, once you realize how to spot them. have you seen any related applications? MLC can be relied
upon to automati-
Q: What programming languages are required A: I am familiar with the software you mention, cally respond to
to design a non-in-built distributed control system but have not used it. This represents the auto-tuning encroaching con-
(DCS) MPC? story all over again, which is one of the big past les- straints, due to
sons that I did not have time to address in the presen- normal process
A: A custom reusable function block, now avail- tation. Auto-tuning can be looked at as an attempt to variations.
able in most modern DCSs and programmable logic create an “adaptive model” for a single loop. For the
controllers (PLCs), is the target deployment mecha- most part, industry failed at this, despite a lot of try-
nism, although with today’s flexible technology, other ing. So, how likely is it to succeed on a multivariable
options exist. Visual Basic (VB) or C++ is good. basis that is geometrically bigger and more complex?
This adds yet another layer of cost and complexity to
Q: What platforms do you expect will support MPC, with, in my view, doubtful prospects. I wrote
MLC? Embedded controllers or servers, or what? about this in a related Control Engineering article:
“Pros and cons of autotuning—the big story.”
A: DCS control layer and (with more limits) PLCs
can support MLC. In some cases, users may prefer a Q: Moving towards a more feedback-centric (as
generic network-based solution, but this adds back opposed to model-based) paradigm, will MLC be
complexity and other issues for the owner/operator. able to respect constraints/limits as well as MPC
currently does?
Q: Should an MPC require continuous data for
the step/pre-testing? A: I believe so. For example, a simple override
is actually a multivariable constraint control and
A: Theoretically not necessary, but in a continuous optimization tool: The normal setpoint is the opti-
run, there is more continuity and ability to spot poten- mization target; the override setpoint is the con-
tial plant events that may cause data irregularities. straint limit; the selector is a 1x2 matrix; and below
the selector is the MV. We know these overrides are
Q: Not enough emphasis was given to the need absolutely reliable and do not use models or opti-
that engineers KNOW processes inside and out. mizers. These well-performing ARC configurations
exist throughout the industry and nobody ever con-
A: I agree completely. In MLC, the matrix is siders that they may need or benefit from a model
designed based on existing (or desired) manual mul- (although technically, if you were to do it with MPC,
tivariable control methods, that is, it is based on auto- there would be a model between the MV and con-

www.controleng.com control engineering March 2020 • P4

ANSWERS
INSIDE PROCESS

Wherever possible, use feedback. You will know

where a feedforward model is needed, because it
will be kicking you in the tail operationally. In most
of the limited number of cases where a feedforward
model is truly needed, it already exists in the base
layer controls. I am especially doubtful about “adap-
tive modeling.” See my prior answer on this topic
and related article reference.

Q: What about dynamics, process changes?

A: Many or most of the dynamic questions, such

as inverse-response, become less important or trou-
blesome when feedback is used. Inverse-response is
mainly a problem that came out of model-based con-
trol (you never heard of it before then). Model-based
control first high-lighted the ability to handle inverse
response, then turned around and provided detun-
ing knobs to ignore fast dynamics! Similarly, mod-
el-based control is theoretically good for deadtime,
The matrix is perhaps the single biggest contribution to advanced but cannot handle not variable deadtime, which most
process control (APC) technology and process operation to come applications are (based on feed rate changes). Dead-
from the MPC era, possibly even more so than models. Analyzing a time always needs to be considered, even in feed-
process and diagramming the underlying matrix will become a basic back. (See the article on Control Engineering “What
core-competency skill for APC engineers and process engineers. is rate-predictive control?”)
The following questions were verbally answered
in the webcast, but the answers provided below offer
straint variables). But we know that is not neces- more detail.
sary. I think the industry will find the feedback
MLC will solve many multi-loop problems simply Q: Please clarify how MLC would do optimiza-
and reliably. tion without optimizers?

Q: Do you have data that indicates the longer- A: First, as on slide 23, optimization occurs at
term performance problems and maintenance business level, where all the needed tools and infor-
requirements of MPC? Can you share this data? mation are available.
You made some very solid points, and some data At the control layer, or APC layer, optimization
to back it up would be good. refers to how excess MV availability, or degrees of free-
dom, is used. (It’s a two-step objective; refer to slide.)
A: Nobody has or publicizes such data, but, So the question becomes: Where do the APC
slowly, over the years, the story has emerged, and optimization targets come from — Production Plan-
is now generally accepted, even if people still don’t ning & Optimization (PP&O), engineers and oper-
talk about it very openly. A high-available MPC with ators, and sometimes live calculations. They really
high utilization is rare; low availability and low uti- can’t come from control-layer optimization, because
lization are more often the rule than the exception. there is no information available there outside of
I have been publishing on this topic since 2005. At the controller itself. By the way, most targets rarely
some point, I discerned the root problems — short- change; a limited number may change daily, and that
lived models, the mistaken assumption of error-min- comes down in the PP&O plan.
imization performance criteria, and oversized matrix Optimization is a critical aspect that has been
designs that exacerbate the first two root issues. At poorly understood throughout the APC 1.0 era.
that point, I began suggesting changes, rather than
fixes, which has led me to MLC. Q: I don’t follow how error-minimization is a
mistaken assumption? (If not then, what?)
Q: How about using closed-loop model-identifi-
cation techniques to maintain MLC or MPC? A: If you’ve been a control engineer a long time,
you can see a pattern… sites embark on tuning/mod-
A: I am not a fan of detailed model-identifica- eling campaigns, followed by periods of detuning or
tion in general. The majority of models add main- move suppressing.
tenance and risk while costing money and time. The problem is, error-minimization is an aggres-

P5 • March 2020 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

sive criterion leading to fast/large MV movement,
and excessive overshoot and oscillation.
In industrial process operation, these are the least
week to week — many variables change,
and there seems to be an endless supply of
new types of disturbances. Industry saw
M More
ANSWERS
KEYWORDS: Advanced process
desirable performance characteristics. It is much this in benchmarking; we’ve seen it in control (APC), multiloop control
more important to get to setpoint at safe speed and APC modeling; and we’ve seen it in neu- (MLC), matrix
with minimum overshoot or oscillation. ral networks for inferentials. More answers after webcast on
Unfortunately, this (latter) type of performance So, my hat is off to the AI crowd, but past present and future of APC
does not lend itself to easy or mathematical mea- it’s not too big on my radar at this time. Process engineers can use APC to
improve operations.
surement, but can only be gleaned by overall metrics, At least not for APC.
A matrix, used with APC,
such as loops in manual, multivariable loops in man- allows better visualization and
ual, number of alarms, etc. Q: How does model-less APC work? understanding of multivariable
processes.
Q: There are many questions about artificial A: Model-less can basically be thought CONSIDER THIS
intelligence (AI), deep learning, Industrial Internet of as feedback, whereas model-based is Are your multivariable control
of Things (IIoT), recovery time objective (RTO), basically feedforward. applications running open loop?
etc. What are the implications for APC? That said, the algorithms used in our How much optimization are you
MLC tool (XMC) have been patented. missing?
A: AI is an exciting field, but it’s not really my They represent the industry’s only “inher- ONLINE
field, and I don’t see it having a big impact on APC ently adaptive” control algorithm, and the If reading from the digital edition,
within my (now somewhat limited) time horizon. only “model-less” method of multivari- click on the headline for more
I see AI as a tool to do things faster, but not nec- able control. And they are uniquely well resources including links to five other
control tutorials.
essarily better. If modeling cannot solve the problem suited to multi-loop applications. ce www.controleng.com/magazine
with all the effort we have seen, then I don’t think AI See www.controleng.com/
is going to work, until we understand the nature of Allan Kern, P.E., is owner, APC Perfor- webcasts/past
the problem. mance LLC. Edited by Mark T. Hoske,
Somewhat surprisingly, even to those of us in the content manager, Control Engineering, CFE
business, most plants are highly variable, not the same Media and Technology, mhoske@cfemedia.com.

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input #13 at www.controleng.com/information

ANSWERS
INSIDE PROCESS
Sunil Doddi, CAP CFSP, Hydro-Chem

Understand partial-
stroke testing
Partial-stroke tests (PSTs) of emergency shutdown (ESD) valves improve safety
instrumented system (SIS) performance; monitor these critical valves to ensure
the system’s ability to shut a process down in the event of an emergency

A
partial-stroke test (PST) is a proce- the safety instrumented function (SIF) loop do not
dure/test used to stroke emergency achieve the desired targets by any other means. PST
shutdown (ESD) valves partially. It increases the SIL, but because the implementation
also is referred to as a partial valve- is expensive, it should be a last resort to achieve
stroke test (PVST). The alternative is the SIL level targets. This means all other means
a full stroke test (FST), where the valve is complete- have been tried and are not feasible, or the cost to
ly (100%) closed/opened during the test; the typical achieve the desired SIL target is prohibitively high.
range of a PST is 10% to 20% of valve movement. The PST requirement arises in plants where turn-
The setpoint for the PST depends on the process around time (TAR) is high, and it is not possible to
upset it will create, and thus, the sizing of the valve do a full stroke test for an extended time.
and manufacturer recommendations. The primary objective of PST is to conclude
the valve actuator will move when the situation
Benefits of performing a PST demands it, and it is not stuck due to nonmovement
A PST is necessary to achieve higher safety for longer periods because of high TAR time.
integrity level (SIL) (typically SIL3) where prob- It should also be noted PST does not detect all
ability of failure on demand (PFD) calculations of valve failures, such as seat failure. Hence, at the end
of a TAR, an FST is needed. PST and FST are both
necessary for the valve at the end.
Figure 1: Typical flowchart
for PST workflow. All images
PST implementation
courtesy: Hydro-chem
There are various ways to implement PST and
they involve hardware and software in varying
degrees. The PST implementation methods can be
categorized as field initiated, remote initiated, auto-
initiated and manual initiated. Some manufactures
offer field-based small panels with pushbuttons and
lamps to test the function directly in the field.
The test also can be performed remotely from a
control room through application software through
a distributed control system (DCS) or asset man-
agement system/product device manager via HART
commands if the field device is intelligent enough.
Some manufactures offer smart field devices that
work with HART commands.
The selected implementation concept depends on
considering various factors such as cost, field envi-
ronmental conditions, remote operated plants, etc.
Regardless of the implementation methods, the
concept involves initiating valve movement, reading
its movement and bringing it back to the original
position (see Figure 1).

P7 • March 2020 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

Figure 2: Typical PST fail report. Figure 3: Typical PST pass report.

‘
As the flowchart in Figure 1 indicates, the pro-
cedure is a controlled valve movement to a PST There also should be procedures in
setpoint within a certain time interval. If the valve
reaches the setpoint within the defined interval,
the test passes. If the valve does not reach the set- place to address situations when a PST fails
point within the defined PST interval, the test

’
fails. There also should be procedures in place to without compromising plant safety.
address situations when a PST fails without com-
promising plant safety.
The PST setpoint is defined as the final open so not all valves are started at the same time and thus
position during the test. During sizing of the valves may create unexpected process upsets. It is advised to
(which will go through PST testing in the future), a do each valve PST individually in the auto configu-
sizing scenario should be considered to ensure how ration, so the timer settings need to be appropriate.
much process upset can be tolerated during the The software used for PST tests should
testing for the PST setpoint. Manufacturer’s recom-
mendations can help here.
The PST time interval setting depends on the
be based on functional safety standards
(IEC 61508/IEC 61511). It’s less expensive
to follow manufacture or DCS vendor
M More
ANSWERS
KEYWORDS: Partial stroke
valve reaction time, which can be obtained from existing validated software than devel- testing, PST
manufacturer’s documentation. The PST setpoint oping your own. The typical PST reports Partial stroke tests (PSTs)
and time interval must be tested and fine-tuned look like those shown in Figures 2 and 3. of emergency shutdown
before the plant is put back into full service. A solenoid test (if applicable) on the (ESD) valves improve safety
instrumented system (SIS)
Certain process conditions may be used as inter- valves, which needs PVST, works on sim- performance.
locks for the PST test and thus inhibit valve move- ilar principles as outlined in Figure 1, The primary objective of PST
ment. This is easy if the test is realized with the help except instead of initiating valve move- is to conclude the valve actuator
of the DCS application program. These can be any ment, the power supply to the solenoid is will move when the situation
of the conditions where process upset would be momentarily turned off . The timer and demands it.
higher and thus plant shutdown or safety could be solenoid off-on pulse settings need very There are various ways to
implement PST and they involve
compromised. fine-tuning before implementing. ce hardware and software in varying
In a manual-initiated option, the user chooses degrees.
when to start the test. In the auto-initiated option, Sunil Doddi is a senior control systems engi-
the software/program (from the DCS or AMS/PDM) neer at Hydro-chem, a division of Linde Engi- CONSIDER THIS
If called upon in an emergency,
can be configured for the time interval for each PST neering North America. Edited by Jack Smith, will the emergency shutdown
test. In an auto configuration, it may be better to content manager, Control Engineering, valves in your plant operate
configure different test timer setting for each valve CFE Media, jsmith@cfemedia.com. properly?

www.controleng.com control engineeering March 2020 • P8

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Beckhoff ’s TwinCAT Analytics One-Click Dashboard is designed to data-driv-
en services to individual customer requirements, machine builders and sys-
tem integrators. The automated functionality in TwinCAT Analytics to convert
analysis configurations into executable programmable logic controller (PLC)
code now also includes dashboard generation. With One-Click Dashboard, all
it takes is a simple mouse click to generate an entire HTML5-enabled analyt-
ics dashboard based on the PLC code that is then loaded into a selected Ana-
lytics Runtime container. When the process completes, users receive a network
address that they can use to access the dashboard in a web browser. This abil-
ity to generate dashboards without the need to design graphics or write a single
line of code is a huge time-saver in engineering processes.
Beckhoff Automation, www.beckhoff.com Input #204 at www.controleng.com/information

44 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

INNOVATIONS
BACK TO BASICS: PROCESS CONTROL VALVES
Damien Moran, Bürkert

Choosing process control valves

Today’s process control valves offer an wider range of features and benefits for industries that require
precise control over fluids, steam and other gases. Seek a cost-effective design for the application.

C
ontrol valves are used to manage the effective solution that takes account
flow rate of a liquid or a gas and in-turn of annual running costs.
control the temperature, pressure or liq- Modern, digital, electro-pneu-
uid level within a process. As such, they matic valves that use micro-solenoid
are defined by the way in which they valves to control the air in and out of
operate to control flow and include globe valves, the actuator have introduced signifi-
angle seat, diaphragm, quarter-turn, knife and needle cant improvements for operators. This
valves, to name a few. In most cases the valve bodies design means that while the valve is
are made from metal; either brass, forged steel or in fully open, fully closed or in a steady
hygienic applications 316 stainless steel. state, it is not consuming any air. This
Actuators will use an on-board system to mea- and other engineering improvements
sure the position of the valve with varying degrees of have made substantial advances in
accuracy, depending on the application. A contact- economy and precision.
less, digital encoder can place the valve in a thousand Valve seats can be interchangeable
positions, making it very accurate. More rudimentary within a standard valve body, which
measurements can be applied to less sensitive designs. allows the valve to fit existing pipe- While choosing the most appropriate
One of the main areas of debate when speci- work and the valve seat to the sized process control valve can be a com-
fying control valves is determining the size of the to the application more accurately. In plex task, it is often best achieved
valve required. Often process engineers will know some cases, this can be achieved after with help from expert knowledge.
the pipe diameter used in an application and it is the valve has been installed, which Courtesy: Chris Vavra, CFE Media and
tempting to take that as the control valve’s defining would enable a process change to be Technology at the Endress+Hauser
characteristic. Of greater importance are the flow accommodated without replacing the booth, Process Expo 2019
conditions within the system as these will dictate complete valve assembly.
the size of the orifice within the control valve. The Selecting the most appropriate seal materials is
pressure either side of the valve and the expected an important step to ensure reliable operation; Steam
flow rate are essential pieces of information when processes would normally use metal-to-metal seals; a
deciding on the valve design. process that included a sterilization stage
may require chemically resistant seals.
Improving efficiency
Inside the valve body, the actuator design is often
either a piston or a diaphragm design. The piston
Setting up and installing a new valve is
easier and much less time-consuming. In-
built calibration procedures should be able
M More
INNOVATIONS
KEYWORDS: process control,
design typically offers a smaller, more compact valve, perform the initial setup procedures auto- control valves, process safety
which is also lighter and easier to handle than the dia- matically, measuring the air required to Control valves manage the flow rate
phragm designs. Actuators are usually made from open and close the valve, the resistance of of a liquid or a gas and control the
stainless steel or polyphenolsulpide (PPS), which is a the piston seals on the valve stem and the temperature, pressure or liquid level
chemically-resistant plastic. The actuator is topped off response time of the valve itself. within a process.
by the control head or positioner. Working directly with manufacturers Technology advances make setting
up and installing a process control
Older, pneumatically operated positioners had a or knowledgeable distributors enables valve easier than before.
flapper/nozzle arrangement and operated on 3-15 psi, process control systems to be optimized Expert advice can make choosing a
so no matter what the state of the valve, open closed for long-term reliability as well as preci- process control valve easier.
or somewhere in between, the system was always sion and efficiency. ce
ONLINE
expelling some compressed air to the atmosphere.
See more on safety and reliability
Compressed air is an expensive commodi- Damien Moran is field segment manag- with this article online and more from
ty, requiring considerable energy to generate and er, Hygienic – Pharmaceutical at Bürk- international partners at
when a manufacturing line is equipped with mul- ert. This article originally appeared on www.controleng.com/international.
tiple process control valves all venting to the atmo- the Control Engineering Europe web- CONSIDER THIS
sphere, this can equate to a considerable waste of site. Edited by Chris Vavra, associate edi- What’s your company’s process for
energy. It is important to not only establish the tor, Control Engineering, CFE Media and choosing a process control valve and
most appropriate valve design, but also a cost- technology, cvavra@cfemedia.com. how effective is it?

www.controleng.com control engineering March 2020 • 45

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46 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

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www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING March 2020 • 47

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48 • March 2020 control engineering www.controleng.com

Spreadsheets weren’t designed for
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input #14 at www.controleng.com/information

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input #15 at www.controleng.com/information