Smart sensors and integrated systems now improving more than just process control

摘要

In the past process control was seen as a stand-alone business function, but Zoe Fielding reports that developments in information technology are allowing process control to play a more active role in business operations, influencing the way companies make decisions, and manage risks, maintenance and safety. ADVANCES in information technology are having a greater impact on process control systems than ever before. Smaller computer chips, the integration of sensor and business systems, and internet technology among other factors is opening up new possibilities for process control. Traditional sensors send simple messages to control systems or human operators for interpretation. But as computer chips become smaller, they can be embedded into process control instruments, creating "smart sensors" capable of analyzing their own outputs and notifying control systems or operators only when problems occur.