Introducing process control
In a very simple way, we can define process control as the technique of monitoring and adjusting a process to yield the desired result.
In industry today, raw materials undergo a series of procedures (processes) before they become a finished product. These processes need to be carefully monitored and adjusted to ensure quality products are produced efficiently, economically, and safely. The monitoring of processes and the adjustments necessary are usually automated using control systems. If the monitoring and adjustments were to be done manually, there would be a need for more workers and we cannot achieve the best possible results this way due to human errors.
Types of process control systems
Automatic process control can be categorized as one of the following:
- Open-loop
- Closed-loop (feedback)
- Feedforward
- Feedforward-feedback
Let’s have a look at each of the types.
Open-loop control
In open-loop process control...
