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KNOW YOUR LOOP BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO TUNE YOUR LOOP – PART 2

In the last article for this topic, we discussed the importance of field data collection and the importance of a methodical approach to PID tuning. I introduced the concept of the bump test and that its results would help guide the steps and equations used in proper tuning. Here I will explore that concept in greater detail. At ECS we use a visual tool for data collection in every instance. The tool may be part of a controller suite, or it may be stand-alone but, in any case, it is imperative to capture accurate information about the performance of your system before planning and then programming a solution.

In the interest of time, this article will focus on tuning concepts for self-regulating loops as they make up the majority of applications in the industrial field. A common example of this type of loop is a flow control which varies flow through a pipe via either variable speed control on a pump or a position-controlled valve. In this example, the flow can be adjusted by speed adjustment of the pump or position of a valve and the result of the change ordered from the controller is stable and is generally fast and repeatable.

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Innovative Tools for the Evolving Systems Integrator

The personnel challenges facing virtually every industry over the last few years have been nothing short of astonishing. Proper candidates have become increasingly difficult to court and bring on board. New staff in key roles are tasked to accomplish more with fewer floor operators and technology is increasingly leveraged to close the resulting gaps. This is not unique in history although it may seem that way due to the current media deluge surrounding business intelligence and general-purpose visibility software that makes life easier, smarter, and generally more efficient.

Industrial software is again playing a leading role in the current intelligence revolution. Inductive Automation didn’t invent floor supervisory (SCADA) software, nor did they invent the first responsive, general-purpose web software. However, their current offerings certainly do marry these concepts together in a way that hasn’t existed in industry before. Since 2010 their award-winning Vision Module has enhanced the experiences of factory floor users everywhere, easily connecting complex factory controllers to databases, alarm and reporting systems, and intuitive visualization tools. This product is robust, proven, and works very well for users “inside the industrial network” of many facilities. Today this is coupled with the newer Perspective Module which is an equally powerful tool for use in mobile-responsive applications. For situations where a user may be “outside the industrial network” or simply need to utilize a variety of hardware platforms like PCs, phones, or tablets, Perspective provides an ideal solution.

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ECS Solutions and Inductive Automation Deliver Solutions for Latin America

At ECS Solutions, Inc., (ECS) we’re seeing a change in how the Latin American market is approaching manufacturing operations. The region is one that has traditionally addressed challenges by adding personnel in almost any situation. This mentality is evolving in the face of a rapidly growing population and the associated demands for things like regionally processed food and beverage products. Increasingly, companies are using technology to streamline operations.

As is usually the case, the correct solutions lie with partners who have the right staff and the right tools. At ECS we believe that we can deliver both via our team and with products offered by Inductive Automation. ECS is chiefly focused on batch industries, and this has led us to decades of success in delivering solutions in industries like food processing. Our team now includes multiple native Spanish-speaking personnel, several of whom reside within the Latin region in places like Columbia and Venezuela. From initial project discussions, we can provide personnel with deep expertise to explore options with clients in their native tongue. Execution of projects occurs under project management from our personnel within the region along with local strategic partners and backend support from our home office and elsewhere. The client experience is with genuine, local ECS subject matter experts and project managers.

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Native Spanish Speakers Drive Results at ECS

ECS Solutions (ECS) continually evolves to respond to the needs of our clients. In many cases, this is evident in the form of new services or specialized training and certifications to address changing technology. Another area where we have placed considerable emphasis over the last decade is diversity within the ranks of the ECS team. Specifically, we have placed marked effort into growing the number of our native Spanish-speaking teammates.

According to the US Department of Labor, the overall composition of Hispanic workers grew from 8.5% in 1990 to 18% in 2020. They project that this will be over 21% of the overall workforce by 2030. In 2020 Hispanic workers already made up more than 25% of the total workforce in six states including key agricultural locations like California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the number of Hispanic workers in management jobs more than doubled to over 10% today from just over 5% in 2000.

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Using Ignition Scripting Libraries

Volumes have been written about the proper use of tools within a software application and how to create projects for maximum efficiency in both development and execution. Senior programmers and leaders of development teams strive to write and deploy robust solutions that are simple, efficient, easy to debug, and easy to adapt in the future.

Ignition is a multi-faceted tool that continues to revolutionize industrial applications. The package includes a powerful scripting tool that has undergone significant upgrades from versions 7 and before and has existed in its current form since version 8. When combined with the software’s other capabilities and using a disciplined approach to the application of all the tools, Ignition can give you efficient and optimized solutions that can solve most SCADA and business integration challenges.

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Ignition Perspective® Module

Human-machine interface (HMI) vendors have been promising a utopia based around web-based technologies for over two decades. The prospect of simply providing a web address to anyone within an organization that leads to a fast-loading, full-power supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system has been on most factories’ wish list for a long time. After all, internet page tools and functionality have far outpaced advancements in SCADA software over the same time. The advancements seem to leap forward every time someone reloads a page, with new widgets and tools available almost daily. When coupled with hardware developments like high contrast screens; enhanced touchscreen operations; and capabilities like Bluetooth, accelerometers, geolocation, and more; a flexible, web-based option has been coveted.

What many casual users fail to understand about HMI solutions is exactly how tightly the software is connected to the factory floor controllers. This connection via high-security networks, VPNs, and masks, can be tricky to navigate, particularly when the architecture is intentionally complex to provide security for the systems. Further, most people don’t realize the architectural complexity of software that link to sometimes multiple databases and remote data sources, where gigabits of proprietary information streams into and out of the SCADA application. It has been the responsibility of the integrators of these solutions to protect would-be users from themselves in a lot of applications. Poorly developed programs could create vulnerabilities to the operation of equipment, expose floor workers to potential risk, and possibly allow trade secrets to escape into cyberspace.

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Dynamic Perspective Objects with Sepasoft’s Batch Module

One of the most exciting things about Sepasoft’s Batch and Procedure module is that it enables tight integration between the process cell (as it is functionally defined) and the graphical interface (how it is presented to the user). By using the various tools in the Ignition toolbox (creative scripting, querying, and binding), it is possible to create dynamic views that represent the ISA-88 objects of a process cell. As the process cell definition changes (new units, new phases, etc) these dynamic objects automatically update as needed. This allows for less development time, a consistent user experience, and a lower maintenance control system. (more…)

2022 ECS Scholarship Award

Congratulations to Noah Smith for being selected as the 2022 ECS Scholarship Winner!

ECS Scholarship recipients demonstrate outstanding high school leadership and academic achievements with promise in the Engineering Industry.

Noah will be attending Indiana University in the fall. Best of luck in your studies and as you pursue your career, Noah!

Find out more about the ECS Scholarship here.

Surviving the Great Resignation

A rapidly decreasing number of technical personnel are available who can install and maintain the higher-end equipment used in manufacturing today. “The great resignation and/or retirement” movement, along with changes associated with the recent pandemic landscape, has sent many highly qualified workers to the exits in search of new and often altogether different opportunities. The stage has been set for decades with the wave of baby boomer retirements churning towards manufacturers. Parallel to this has been the increased reliance on high-tech manufacturing machines and processes. These two situations pair well with the idea of future-proofing low-to-mid complexity manufacturing but, in an interesting juxtaposition, amplify the core problem. (more…)

Automation of Manual Processes

Imagine a situation where your plant floor employees require less training to become fully functional for operations. Also imagine a situation where your employees can be flexibly interchanged on different equipment and operations instead of relegated to a single machine, cell, or role. Now imagine this is done in a way that employees feel engaged and that they are achieving results easily and accurately. Sound impossible? We don’t think so at ECS Solutions, Inc. (ECS).

Every sector of employment has been hit by the employee shortage of the last few years. Covid 19 has certainly exacerbated this situation and ensured that all types of employers have felt it, from the most unskilled labor positions up through the highest level of professional employees. Manufacturing has been hit from all sides and many companies struggle to fill technical and non-technical plant floor, logistics, office, and professional openings.

Times like these force many manufacturers to take a hard look at their operations and streamline however they can. Some outsource both manufacturing and professional functions and some embrace technology with software for automated Human Resources (HRIS), accounting, payroll, logistics, and ERP interfaces. Often streamlining the most basic of operations on the factory floor is overlooked. This is frequently the result of mindsets that simply accept older equipment and processes as “they are what they are” or that newer, highly automated equipment is as automated as it can get. Are either of those situations true? World-class companies find ways to get more from their vintage equipment and they tie additional, ancillary steps into their newer automation investments. The bonus can be that all of this can empower employees as well! (more…)