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News Releases

2008








Benchmarking Process Operations in Real Time

ProcessApex software now benchmarks and tracks the business results of fired heaters, heat exchangers, and dryers.  Use the results to make decisions that directly impact efficiency, throughput, operating targets, and bottom line of operations.

For fired heaters, ProcessApex benchmarks and tracks efficiency, excess oxygen, and potential fuel savings.  ProcessApex can help to manage excess oxygen, reducing the excess air flow, and delivering higher thermal efficiencies.

For heat exchangers, ProcessApex identifies bottlenecks and pinpoints opportunities by tracking heat duty, heat transfer coefficients and approach temperatures.  ProcessApex benchmarks operation between similar heat exchangers, and identifies excess capacity, so users can optimize the big picture, not just a single heat exchanger.

On dryers, ProcessApex tracks dryer efficiency, percent excess capacity, and energy usage/ton. Diagnostics include recommendations of targets, identification of limitations, and methods for improvement.  The benchmarking tools help to drive each dryer toward the best proven performance levels.

George Buckbee, VP of Product Development at ExperTune, says: "ProcessApex is the next-generation interface to true process understanding.  Unlike older-generation tools, ProcessApex does not require an engineer to spend a lot of time developing specific equations.  The equations, models, and tools are built-in to ProcessApex."  Every unit operation in ProcessApex was designed with the expert assistance and knowledge of Greg Shinskey.

ProcessApex runs on a server so all the results are available to employees on the corporate office LAN via a browser interface.  No special client software is required.  Through tight integration with PlantTriage, detailed drill-down analysis can be accomplished directly from the web browser.

About ProcessApex
ProcessApex benchmarks and tracks the business results of process unit operations. ProcessApex automatically determines high-level measures, like efficiencies, yields, and quality information.  The KPIs generated allow decisions to be made that will impact efficiency, yields, operational targets, and bottom line operations.  ProcessApex gathers real-time data directly from control system.  It then develops performance metrics and provides real-time advice for unit operations.








PlantTriage Incorporates Newly-Patented Wizard Builder Technology

ExperTune has received a patent for its novel wizard builder technology. The patent was issued April 8, 2008. The wizard builder creates connection wizards for communication between process controllers (DCSs and PLCs) and PC based software. In a way, it is a "wizard that builds wizards." PlantTriage performance supervision software uses this wizard technology.

To analyze an entire plant, you must first connect to hundreds of data sources in the plant control system. John Gerry, President of ExperTune says, "PlantTriage makes this easy by using a smart wizard-based bulk import. After you configure just a single control loop, the patented wizard builder uses its intelligence about specific control systems to automatically poll the control system for the data it needs. The wizard builder reduces configuration time by up to 90%, and practically eliminates address configuration errors."

The result is that PlantTriage automatically imports exactly the right information from the control system database. It then reads as much information as possible directly from the process control computer, DCS or PLC. For complete flexibility, the user can direct PlantTriage to use addresses from an Excel spreadsheet. Once setup, PlantTriage monitors and assesses every control loop in the plant, assuring optimal plant operation. The Wizard Builder technology is available now, in the PlantTriage Performance Supervision System.

About ExperTune's PlantTriage
For 22 years, ExperTune has created award-winning optimization software that runs in thousands of plants world-wide. PlantTriage® Performance Supervision Software oversees the optimization of an entire plant. PlantTriage® optimizes the entire process, including equipment, operations, and controls. The PlantTriage suite of optimization tools are designed to increase the efficiency of processes. The tools include swing or oscillation detection and elimination, interaction analysis, modeling, robustness, linearization, valve wear analysis, pH linearization, time series analysis, MPC performance improvement, 6-sigma, frequency response, and PID tuning tools. ExperTune is a member of the OPC Foundation. For more information, set your browser to www.planttriage.com.








PlantTriage Adds Graphical Modeling

PlantTriage's new visual modeling tools result in better dynamic process models. Better models give better all-around analysis resulting in optimal PID Tuning, accurate simulated response to upsets, accurate response to process noise, and better robustness analysis.

The new drag-and-drop modeling puts the engineer in control of the model fit. Using any bump test data, drag the model curve to match the actual response curve. Instantly, PlantTriage finds a dynamic process model that reflects the visually designed response. PlantTriage uses this model to give optimal PID values, simulate responses to upsets and noise.

Drag-and-drop modeling is fully compatible with PlantTriage's Active Model Capture Technology. With Active Model Capture, operator setpoint moves are automatically captured and modeled. The resulting model can then be fine-tuned using the drag-and-drop features.

John Gerry, President of ExperTune says, "The end results of these visual modeling tools are optimal plant operations. This ultimately boosts efficiency and production while reducing waste and energy usage."

Download Graphical Modeling image.

About ExperTune's PlantTriage
For 22 years, ExperTune has created award-winning optimization software that runs in thousands of plants world-wide. PlantTriage® Performance Supervision Software oversees the optimization of an entire plant. PlantTriage® optimizes the entire process, including equipment, operations, and controls. The PlantTriage suite of optimization tools are designed to increase the efficiency of processes. The tools include swing or oscillation detection and elimination, interaction analysis, modeling, robustness, linearization, valve wear analysis, pH linearization, time series analysis, MPC performance improvement, 6-sigma, frequency response, and PID tuning tools. ExperTune is a member of the OPC Foundation. For more information, set your browser to www.planttriage.com.








ExperTune and TiPS Announce User's Conference

ExperTune and TiPS have announced their 2008 User's Conference, themed "Common Sense Automation". The conference will be held April 23–25, in Houston, Texas, and offers training, case studies, and roundtables, including a host of notable speakers. The conference will focus on delivering actionable strategies to corporate and plant-based process control engineers, technicians, and managers.

George Buckbee, Director of Product Development at ExperTune, says "Most plants can achieve significant improvements without replacing their control system equipment. One of the best ways to get better performance is to make sure that existing equipment and controls perform up to their design expectations. The people at this conference are experts in simple, practical techniques used to improve control system performance."

ExperTune and TiPS share a common philosophy: "The best operations run on a foundation of excellent basic automation". The conference theme, "Common Sense Automation" emphasizes improvements that can come from a combination of practical knowledge and theory.

Bob Weibel, President of TiPS, Inc, says "Time and again, clients are surprised by the process, quality, and safety improvements that can come from simple, practical, common-sense techniques. We are excited to host this conference, bringing together world-class experts and clients from around the world."

The 3-day conference will be held at the Houston Intercontinental Hotel. Conference attendees will have a chance to try out these techniques in a hands-on classroom at the conference. Process control and alarm management experts will be on hand to discuss specific user applications.

For more information on the conference, visit www.expertune.com/UG2008.html

About ExperTune®
For 20 years, ExperTune has created award-winning optimization software that runs in thousands of plants world-wide. PlantTriage® Performance Supervision Software oversees the optimization of an entire plant. PlantTriage® optimizes the entire process, including equipment, operations, and controls. ExperTune's full suite of optimization tools is designed to increase the efficiency of processes. The company's analysis tools include interaction analysis, modeling, robustness, linearization, valve wear analysis, pH linearization, time series analysis, MPC performance improvement, 6-sigma, frequency analysis, and process modeling.

About TiPS Incorporated
TiPS Incorporated is celebrating 20 years of delivering cutting edge tools for maximizing the capabilities of operators and operations management. Our clients recognize the critical role of the operator in reaching business objectives. We help them improve operational performance through targeted enhancement of the operator environment. Until human intuition and processing power can be replicated, operators will remain the last line of defense against unplanned outages. TiPS will be there to provide the tools and expertise necessary to empower your operating team.







   
 
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