Start with a specific operating issue.
We begin with instability, inefficient transitions, or underperforming control. The focus is to isolate where performance has drifted and identify the underlying cause.
APC and PID Optimization Project Engagements
When performance has degraded and a specific issue needs to be diagnosed and corrected, focused engineering work happens directly within your control environment, alongside your plant engineers in live operation. Scope comes from what the diagnostic found or from the scope you already have.
Control performance
Illustrative control response before and after optimization.
How an engagement runs
Diagnose root cause and implement changes.
Diagnostics, model updates, and improvements are carried out directly within the plant's control systems, alongside plant engineers in live operation. This may include APC improvement, PID loop tuning, CLPM implementation, or developing models and soft sensors where predictive control is not in place.
Restore stable performance in operation.
Changes show up in plant performance: more stable operation, improved control response, and reduced reliance on manual intervention. Performance is measured in the unit, under real operating conditions.
Establish control capability where needed.
In environments without advanced control, Atlas establishes baseline models, soft sensors, and control strategies to enable stable and measurable performance.
Where we work inside the unit
APC tuning and constraint optimization
Address model drift and remove constraint barriers.
Critical loop tuning (PID optimization)
Tune specific PID loops, validated through runtime analysis.
Grade transition improvement
Shorten transitions and limit the off-spec material produced.
Soft sensors and inferentials
Add a continuous reading between lab samples.
Model recalibration
Realign models that no longer reflect how the unit runs today.
Baseline control strategy
Where advanced control does not yet exist, build the foundation first.
Soft sensors in practice.
With lab samples only, quality is confirmed three times a shift. An excursion between samples never appears, and correction happens after the product is made. With a soft sensor, the same lab samples anchor a reading available every minute. The excursion is visible as it develops and control acts on it. The soft sensor is recalibrated against each new lab result.
Lab samples only
Quality is confirmed three times a shift.
With a soft sensor
A reading available every minute.
Where engagements start.
Restoration
performance has degraded.
Elevation
control is stable but not tight.
Inception
control maturity is limited.
Signals that call for focused intervention
Reactor instability
Temperature, pressure, or reactor behavior begins to swing, leading to off-spec production, operating risk, or unstable upstream and downstream conditions.
Inefficient grade transitions
Transitions take longer than expected, with more off-spec material and difficulty holding consistent product quality.
APC underperformance
Controllers move in and out of manual, responses turn sluggish or unstable, and performance drifts as plant conditions change.
PID loop underperformance
Critical loops oscillate, respond slowly, or sit in manual, which pushes variability into neighboring loops.
Fouling and heat transfer
Pressure drop increases and heat transfer loses effectiveness, which requires more energy to hold conditions and limits process stability.
Who this is for.
Plants with declining APC performance, rising manual intervention, inconsistent quality, or longer transitions than before.
Frequently asked questions
Can Atlas improve APC performance without a full recommission?
Yes. A focused engagement can address specific issues such as model drift, constraint barriers, or PID loop underperformance within the existing control environment. Scope depends on what the diagnostic finds or the scope the plant already has.
What is a soft sensor?
A soft sensor estimates a process or quality value between laboratory samples. Instead of waiting for the next lab result, the plant can use a more frequent estimated reading to see developing excursions and act on them. The soft sensor is recalibrated against each new lab result.
Where does an engagement start?
An engagement starts with a specific operating issue or an existing scope. Atlas identifies whether the work is Restoration, where performance has degraded; Elevation, where control is stable but not tight; or Inception, where control maturity is limited.
APC and PID Optimization Project Engagements
When performance has degraded and a specific issue needs to be diagnosed and corrected, focused engineering work happens directly within your control environment, alongside your plant engineers in live operation. Scope comes from what the diagnostic found or from the scope you already have.