Control Station Releases Revolutionary Process Optimization Technologies

PRLog (Press Release) - Aug 18, 2008 -
Control Station today announced the release of its patent-pending PID diagnostic and optimization technologies. LOOP-PRO Version 5 (v5) revolutionizes the state of the art in PID controller tuning.  At the core of this revolutionary software is the Non-Steady State (NSS) Modeling Innovation which provides manufacturers with new capabilities for improving control over complex production processes and achieving more profitable plant operations.

Equipped with the NSS modeling innovation, v5 can handle a significantly broader range of processes than other diagnostic and optimization software tools. By eliminating the requirement for steady-state operation prior to the performance of process “bump” tests, users no longer need to wait extended periods of time for processes to settle out.  This minimizes disruption to ongoing production.  With increased focus on production efficiency, LOOP-PRO v5 offers a highly effective solution for increasing productivity and product quality while reducing production waste.

“LOOP-PRO Version 5 has demonstrated unique value especially in terms of optimizing the performance of batch systems,” commented John Gaines, Senior Controls Engineer at Evonik Jayhawk Fine Chemicals.  “We’ve successfully used Version 5 to model and tune complex processes such as the temperature of batch reactors.  The software’s ability to accurately model non-steady state process data has proven to be highly effective.”

LOOP-PRO is used by leading manufacturers across the process industries to improve process performance and overall plant profitability.  Beta tests were conducted successfully by select Control Station customers, including those from the Oil & Gas, Pharmaceutical, Specialty Chemical, and Food & Beverage industries.  The technology was uniformly praised for improved performance while maintaining LOOP-PRO’s distinctive ease-of-use.  In each case, customers have realized significant improvement in their modeling of process data and in achieving enhanced regulatory control.

“Control Station continues to move forward with impressive product enhancements,” shared John McIlwain, Process Control Leader at Honeywell Specialty Materials.  “From an end-user’s perspective, the new capabilities within Version 5 propel LOOP-PRO toward best-in-class status for optimizing the performance of PID controllers.”

With the introduction of the NSS modeling innovation and other product enhancements, LOOP-PRO stands alone among PID diagnostic and optimization technologies.  No other software product on the market has the ability to accurately model non-steady state process data.  Control Station filed a patent for the NSS Modeling Innovation with the United States Patent and Trade Office in June 2008.

Achieving and maintaining steady-state operation is challenging in real plant operations.  A typical production environment is inherently dynamic due to 100s or even 1,000s of interacting process variables.  Ensuring that all elements of a production process are “quiet” and stable prior to and during bump testing is often infeasible and sometimes impossible.  As a requisite of traditional state-of-the-art tools, achieving steady-state operation prior to the performance of tests can significantly impact a production facility’s economics by decreasing throughput, reducing quality, increasing off-specification production, wasting feedstock and human resources, and other unnecessary operational expenses.