Taking the Next Step

So you’ve bought CVE. But what happens next? As a C Visual Explorer (CVE) user you have a much better idea of what is going on within your process. CVE allows you to see the variability in your process, helps you identify the causes and even goes on to reduce it. Now after having used CVE’s powerful query functions to separate the good operations from the not-so-good ones, do you stop there? No! Every process should want to operate for maximum process efficiency and minimum waste by always staying the best identified variable range? But how do we take that next step?

C Process Modeller (CPM)

Using CVE, you now know your process almost like the back of your hand, because until CVE you never had the ability to see the intricacies of every interaction in your process with such detail. Hopefully you have now used this new information to your advantage and gone ahead and mapped the operating envelope. This procedure gives you the ability to track your process and ensure it remains within defined threshold limits. So long as the current operating point is within these threshold values, process operation will be satisfactory with respect to the pre-selected criteria, such as product quality, emissions, throughput, etc. Basically, it allows you to operate where you should and hit your business objectives. Further, within this region of good operation, there may be wholly enclosed regions of even better operation. Using pre-existing process data, these regions can be found easily by CVE, and hopefully you’ve already found these. Now this is the farthest you can go with CVE, it’s the ‘Consistent Control Limits – The BOZ’ phase. Your process can perform optimally if you keep within the BOZ, but without a visual aid that gives you real-time feedback, it is often difficult to keep inside this best operating zone.

Enter C Process Modeller (CPM). After having discovered the ‘BOZ’, CPM keeps the (constantly moving) operating point, within it. It also has the potential to move the operating point into regions of even better operation, keeping your process delivering over and above. The beauty of this type of modelling is that it is completely data driven, so within the 'BOZ' you know that scientifically this area is where the process is most efficient. With CPM you can ‘see’ the operating envelope and all the variables associated on your screen, and this envelope changes in real-time as the variables change. With this picture relayed in real time to an operator, he/she can easily make sure that the variables always stay within the ‘BOZ’.

The ‘BOZ’ is the operating envelope for primary objectives, which most of the time is making the best product in the most efficient way. CPM gives you far more control over your process than just making good product; it allows you to pick and choose how you want to get your product. Do you want to save energy in the process, or maybe operate at a certain temperature, or control your yield? We know that every process has its key objectives, and its not always making the making the best product as fast as possible. These objectives are called secondary objectives, which are sometimes more important than the primary objectives. CPM gives you the control and flexibility over your process to make sure secondary objectives such as lower energy consumption are met. This is achievable because CPM understands that every variable places limits on every other variable due to the requirement to remain in the ‘BOZ’ envelope. The value of each variable in CPM is represented by a round black Spot, and the value can be changed by dragging this Spot up and down to see the effects. The Inferential Analyser in CPM predicts the value of quality variables with reference to other variables – allowing you to predict how changes in one variable will affect the entire process. The effect on the limits on the other variables is shown continuously. This makes the discovery of operating points that set desirable narrow limits on the quality values possible.

CPM can used both in open loop and closed loop control. In open loop control, CPM can receive online data from a plant in real time without feeding back advice to the plant’s control system. The advice generated is displayed in the control room and the plant operators can review and implement it. Generally the operators will have had the opportunity to review the advice generated in replay mode above to establish confidence before using CPM online. Closed-loop control in CPM is implemented using OPC technology. CPM creates an OPC server, and also provides tools to connect the CPM model variables to items in existing OPC servers on a plant control/information system. The values of different variables are automatically applied to the process to keep it within the BOZ.

C Process Modeller (CPM) is a step forward in gaining control over your process. To find out more about CPM and see real-time pictures of a high speed CPM display you can email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .