Peter Welander

DCS migrations: Opportunity for improvement, or operational disaster

When planning a distributed control system (DCS) migration, some of the old can be retained, but don’t go too far. Training is critical to a smooth and safe transition.

迁移变坏

Starting up a process unit is tricky, but with inadequate training on a complex system, the result can be disastrous, which was proven to be the case with a runaway chemical reaction in a recent incident.

Situational awareness during safety incidents—knowing what state the plant is in

一个safety incident has just happened in your facility. Everyone is doing their jobs to make the plant safe, but is there any single place to get a truly comprehensive picture of what’s happening and what state every element of the process is in? Video: Phil Jarrell explains a new approach for integration.

How well do users understand wireless networks? Questions asked of experts shed some light

Wireless networks have been around for years now, but are they as common as some might expect? Understanding of how they work is beginning to seep through, but users are still asking basic questions. Video: Two wireless discussion panelists offer their thoughts.

Designing HMIs: For the big screen or a phone?

What should your first impulse be: Shall we create our operator screens for massive displays or with a smart phone in mind? Video: What does “mobility first” mean?

Where should the cloud connection take place?

一个s we look to the future and the IIoT, many system architecture and connectivity questions are emerging. Video: Darek Kominek considers where users might want to draw the line between local control and where the cloud connection happens.

Toward simpler and faster control system implementations

Control system hardware and architectures will look much different going forward: Less customized, more automated.

一个ssisted living for your aging DCS

Has your control system moved past the point where you can depend on it? Understand the signs that it’s time to retire your platform before it’s too late.

一个utomating automation: Why do smart devices have to be configured manually?

While smart instrumentation and field devices have highly sophisticated capabilities, configuration is still a mostly manual process. Users want to know why they still have to perform this action (and many others) the hard way. This is the Control Engineering October 2014 cover story for the print and digital edition.

Smart I/O systems vs. fieldbus networks

New configurable I/O systems bring greater flexibility to conventional instrumentation. How do they stand up to fieldbus networking for capabilities and convenience?