IPCOS blog

Classroom training often gives vague and non-applicable examples while following a pre-cooked script. After a few hours of tutoring, participants are certified, but have they learned anything practical that will serve them in their daily life? What knowledge do they retain once the training is...

Topics: Data Management, Industry 4.0, Operational Excellence

In many processing plants, the network architecture is identified as follows:

Topics: Advanced Process Control, Industry 4.0, Operational Excellence

In 2021, IPCOS had the chance to work on a global project for one of the leading chemical companies with around 100 sites spread over more than 60 countries. Often sites work independently, and sharing knowledge between teams does not happen naturally or is only done verbally. In some cases,...

Topics: Data Management, Digitalization, Industry 4.0, Operational Excellence

Model Predictive Control (MPC) and Real-time Optimisation (RTO) are technologies that drive processes to their most profitable operating region, without the need to invest in additional plant equipment. These technologies provide different features and functionalities and could quite often work in...

Topics: Advanced Process Control

Advanced process control (APC) solutions such as MPC (model predictive control) have the ability to unlock vast amounts of hidden value by improving process stability and continuously optimising processing plants. MPC solutions make use of models derived from the actual process to predict future...

Topics: Advanced Process Control

One of IPCOS’s clients has plants all around the globe, from the United States to Italy to Germany, each with unique process operations and different principles in calculating performance, with Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) being the Key Performance Indicator (KPI). The management of the...

Topics: Data Management, Digitalization, Industry 4.0, Operational Excellence

From refineries to petrochemical and chemical industries, the Smith predictor is used to improve the control of processes with a long dead time. The delayed behavior of the process is compensated by using an approximated model in the control structure. It is common for process control engineers to...

Topics: Advanced Process Control

The project in this blog is typical of batch chemicals producers who need to digitalize their highly distributed plants. In this case, relevant data was not collected in an automated fashion, and data centralization did not exist. Deploying performance management solutions on a site-by-site basis...

Topics: Data Management, Industry 4.0

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, sustainable manufacturing is “the creation of manufactured products through economically-sound processes that minimize negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources.” This definition attempts to balance economic...

Topics: Industry 4.0, Emissions