Process Automation Systems - History and Future

摘要

The requirements from automation system users are constantly changing. Early needs were to supervise and control process loops only. During the last decades functions like advanced control, alarms, interfacing with business systems etc have been added. During the last few years a number of new aspects have become more in focus. Users need to optimize their assets, adhere to environmental regulations as well as documenting the production. All this put new requirements on modern process control systems. This presentation is describing the evolution of control systems and how new user requirement need to be developed by the control system manufacturers. This presentation gives a short historical view of process control. After that there is a short discussion of where process control systems stand today. Finally some thoughts around the future of control systems and what functionality and technologies that will play important roles.