An "open" DCS solution for cement process control

In today's competitive environment specifiers and purchasers of automation systems have to be concerned about initial investment and long-term operating costs. They must also consider whether their choice of a control system will deliver the true "openness" and configurability needed to facilitate on-going process optimization and enterprise-wide information flow. Finally, no one wants to be left behind with outdated technology or a system that cannot be continuously upgraded to take advantage of the latest technological advancements. An ideal control system for cement manufacturing applications would combine the functionality, reliability and configurability of a distributed control system with the low cost and maintainability of a PLC-based system. It would also offer the user a wide choice of competitive, industry-standard computing platforms and I/O subsystems. An open system running on the Microsoft Windows NT operating system and using object-oriented configuration techniques can be the answer to many of these concerns. Value, reliability, and performance can all be assured through careful design of a scaleable, easily configurable "DCS" system based on open system standards and components at every level. These components include the Intel Pentium PC platform for engineers and operators, industrial PCs for the real-time controllers, and standard PLC I/O subsystems.