Abstract
M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
This research is intended for process control practitioners, plant decision-makers and process control enthusiasts who are considering implementing advanced process control (APC). An understanding of APC is developed from an introductory level; a definition is provided, as well as a discussion of its purpose and how it relates to process control. Three types of APC are examined to illustrate the capabilities and applications of APC techniques. The applicability of the selected APC technologies is investigated based on the type of manufacturing industry.
This investigation is conducted because there are varying approaches to the implementation of APC technologies, irrespective of manufacturing industry. The various industries are explored to gain an understanding of the inconsistencies in the APC selection approach and to test the proposed facilitation framework. The researcher proposes a facilitation process that would guide the decision-making process that ranks the anticipated risks. The risks would need to be addressed for the selected APC technique to contribute positively to the profitability of the enterprise. Hypothetical scenarios are defined to test the facilitation process and to validate its appropriateness. The results are consistent with prior research pertaining to the scenarios defined.
A process that considers both qualitative and quantitative factors in strategic decision making, for the best APC technique, is described. This study did not consider the in-depth technical nature of each advanced control technique and its applicability to each industry. It is not an application model that can be exposed to all manufacturing sectors without considering the dynamics of process control.