Siemens Control Performance Analytics

CPA - Control Performance Analytics

As industrial process applications grow in complexity, production management goals for process safety, flexibility, and product quality become ever-more ambitious. More transparency is needed to detect the potential for optimization and process fine-tuning.

In process industries, control performance is vital for reaching production targets. The single control loop is the initial core for each process application. Studies show that about half of all control loops are not well-tuned, whether due to non-optimum parameters, manual operation, oscillating controlled systems, or mechanical issues with the control valves.

In addition, process engineers in large-scale process plants are typically in charge of hundreds of control loops. Evaluating control performance across various process states in correlation with alarms requires a lot of time and expertise. Detecting possible areas for optimization and tuning control loops is not a one-time job due to continual process changes and wear and tear on equipment.

Efficient Plant Optimization Using Automated Control Loop Analysis

CPA is a cloud-based managed service that enhances process data transparency and control loop optimization. Collection and analysis of plant-wide information give the customer complete control over data. Identification of control loop states comes from automatic KPI (key performance indicators) calculation, capable of identifying setpoint tracking, steady-state problems, and even static or sliding friction in-process valves. The application also allows automated analysis of new parameter sets to test the control loops without impeding plant operations.

How Siemens CPA Works

CPA collects data from SIMATIC PCS 7 or any other process control system, e.g., in CSV format, and transfers this via secure connection to Siemens’ cloud-based IoT operating system such as MindSphere. CPA generates reports and suggestions to be reviewed by the customer’s support teams or by Siemens‘ process consulting experts based on the data. Finally, optimization suggestions improve the process.

Benefits of Control Loop Optimization Through CPA

• Increased product quality due to lower fluctuation in process variables
• Maximized equipment lifetime due to reduced variability in actors
• Improved set points raise throughput by going closer to the limits
• Resource savings thanks to improved set point tracking behavior (e.g., energy, raw material)
• Reduced manual mode of control loops allows overlaying control optimizations such as Advanced Process Control
• Fewer alarms and fewer operator interactions reduce operators‘ workload 

Siemens CPA Customer Advantage

PLANT-WIDE TRANSPARENCY with hierarchical plant overview, from management view to single control details for Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 and other DCS.

IMPROVED PLANT ASSET PERFORMANCE and identification of optimization potential as a result of correlating process data automatically with possible asset problems.

FAST SETUP and intuitive interface enabling customer to use the application without extensive training.

AUTOMATIC STATE DETECTION AND KPI CALCULATIONS like messaging behavior, service factor, steady state accuracy, set point tracking and static friction probability for various control states.

COST BENEFITS due to long-term process optimization and flexible managed service approach – pay only when you use the application.

OPEN, CLOUD-BASED IOT OPERATING SYSTEM - CPA is part of Siemen's Asset and Process Performance Suite for industrial applications and advanced analytics.