Process control design is a type of engineering that creates manufacturing systems that produce finished goods. Processes are designed by integrating functions or steps into a larger system. These systems can be created either intuitively or analytically. Improved product quality, cost efficiency, and automation are all goals of process control design.
Almost every manufactured product necessitates the mixing or processing of several raw materials. Figuring out the steps that will result in the desired finished product is one of the responsibilities of a process control design team. Steps must be organized in a logical order that results in a streamlined and synchronized process.
A process control design team must not only figure out how to arrange steps, but also how to use various machines and mechanical resources to perform those functions. A potato chip manufacturer, for example, might design a system that transports washed and sliced potatoes via conveyor belts. The potatoes are dumped into vats of heated oil on a conveyor belt, where they are cooked for a set amount of time. Before being placed into a bag, cooked chips are transferred from the vat to a salting and seasoning machine.
A process engineer may use intuition, analysis, or a combination of both to design manufacturing systems. An engineer’s knowledge, experience, and gut feeling about what automated processes will result in the highest level of efficiency and quality are sometimes used to design process control. Most manufacturers use batch testing to monitor the quality of their products and can pinpoint which steps in the process are causing poor production results.
A closer look at the specific step or steps involved in the system design might reveal that the parameters need to be tweaked slightly. If too much product is cooked at the same time, the temperature will be uneven and the product will deform. Given the amount of product, the temperature settings may be too high, or the cooking step may need to be moved to a different step in the process. Furthermore, new technological advancements may improve the quality and efficiency of a specific step.
It’s a little more difficult to pinpoint design that is based on intuition. Some engineers may try a variety of theories before settling on the best one. They can use the elimination process to figure out what works well and what should be eliminated. A process control design team may have accumulated enough manufacturing experience to simply “know” what will result in increased efficiency and quality.