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42-557: Dr. John Matthews founded the Newport Corporation in 1969, which specialized in industrial lasers and photonics . After Matthews developed a laser sight , he, Peter Hauk, and Ed Reynolds founded the spin-off company, Laser Products Corporation on October 17, 1979. In 1984, the company supplied the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department with shotgun laser sights for use during

84-590: A strobe function, used for signalling or to disorientate were introduced. A more notable product is the SureFire M6 Guardian, a flashlight with a 250 or 500 lumen beam from a xenon bulb . Fifteen M6 flashlights were used to illuminate Stonehenge for the June 2008 cover photo of National Geographic magazine. The New York Times referred to the M6 as being of the "design school that might be called Modern Militant,

126-406: A complete chemical processing plant with several thousand control feedback loops. IPC provides several critical benefits to manufacturing companies. By maintaining a tight control over key process variables, it helps reduce energy use, minimize waste and shorten downtime for peak efficiency and reduced costs. It ensures consistent and improved product quality with little variability, which satisfies

168-950: A data-driven approach. IPC is used across a wide range of industries where precise control is important. The applications can range from controlling the temperature and level of a single process vessel, to a complete chemical processing plant with several thousand control loops. In automotive manufacturing, IPC ensures consistent quality by meticulously controlling processes like welding and painting. Mining operations are optimized with IPC monitoring ore crushing and adjusting conveyor belt speeds for maximum output. Dredging benefits from precise control of suction pressure, dredging depth and sediment discharge rate by IPC, ensuring efficient and sustainable practices. Pulp and paper production leverages IPC to regulate chemical processes (e.g., pH and bleach concentration) and automate paper machine operations to control paper sheet moisture content and drying temperature for consistent quality. In chemical plants, it ensures

210-632: A few models are made of Nitrolon, a proprietary glass-filled polyamide nylon polymer. All flashlights are weatherproof and have various accessories, including red (night), blue (blood trail), green (reading maps/charts) and infrared (night vision compatible) filters, beam diffusers, beam covers, lanyards , pouches/holsters and spare battery/bulb carriers. Some models use incandescent bulbs , while most others use LEDs with electronically controlled power regulation and adjustable brightness. The company used Seoul Semiconductor and Cree XR-E LEDs in flashlights introduced in 2007. More recently, flashlights with

252-595: A long shelf-life, but are more costly than zinc-based cells. Several flashlights are available with rechargeable battery packs. In 2010, Surefire released the E2L AA, designed to operate on AA batteries , as does the Minimus™ AA headlamp. Surefire sells rechargeable "LFP123A" lithium ion batteries for all LED flashlights as a replacement for CR123A. Surefire also produces military weapon lights for mounting on handguns, rifles, sub-machine guns and shotguns. Surefire's Z2 CombatLight

294-477: A minimum and maximum for a property of the material or product, or a range within which the property must be. All loops are susceptible to disturbances and therefore a buffer must be used on process set points to ensure disturbances do not cause the material or product to go out of specifications. This buffer comes at an economic cost (i.e. additional processing, maintaining elevated or depressed process conditions, etc.). Process efficiency can be enhanced by reducing

336-504: A permanently-staffed central control room. Effectively this was the centralization of all the localized panels, with the advantages of lower manning levels and easier overview of the process. Often the controllers were behind the control room panels, and all automatic and manual control outputs were transmitted back to plant. However, whilst providing a central control focus, this arrangement was inflexible as each control loop had its own controller hardware, and continual operator movement within

378-430: A ransomware attack that among others shut down their websites for more than ten days. Process control Industrial process control (IPC) or simply process control is a system used in modern manufacturing which uses the principles of control theory and physical industrial control systems to monitor, control and optimize continuous industrial production processes using control algorithms. This ensures that

420-490: A set of instructions or a mathematical model called the control algorithm and then, in case of any deviation from these setpoints (e.g., temperature exceeding setpoint), makes quick corrective adjustments through actuators such as valves (e.g. cooling valve for temperature control), motors or heaters to guide the process back to the desired operational range. This creates a continuous closed-loop cycle of measurement, comparison, control action, and re-evaluation which guarantees that

462-399: Is a Piping and instrumentation diagram . Commonly used control systems include programmable logic controller (PLC), Distributed Control System (DCS) or SCADA . A further example is shown. If a control valve were used to hold level in a tank, the level controller would compare the equivalent reading of a level sensor to the level setpoint and determine whether more or less valve opening

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504-453: Is a general model which shows functional manufacturing levels in a large process using processor and computer-based control. Referring to the diagram: Level 0 contains the field devices such as flow and temperature sensors (process value readings - PV), and final control elements (FCE), such as control valves ; Level 1 contains the industrialized Input/Output (I/O) modules, and their associated distributed electronic processors; Level 2 contains

546-477: Is fixed for the system, such as the vessel volume or the viscosity of the material. Output (y) is the metric used to determine the behavior of the system. The control output can be classified as measured, unmeasured, or unmonitored. Processes can be characterized as batch, continuous, or hybrid. Batch applications require that specific quantities of raw materials be combined in specific ways for particular duration to produce an intermediate or end result. One example

588-457: Is represented through variables that are smooth and uninterrupted in time. The control of the water temperature in a heating jacket , for example, is an example of continuous process control. Some important continuous processes are the production of fuels, chemicals and plastics. Continuous processes in manufacturing are used to produce very large quantities of product per year (millions to billions of pounds). Such controls use feedback such as in

630-683: Is standard issue to the FBI and the Federal Air Marshal Service , and their various handheld lights are a frequent choice of police, military, fire, and EMS personnel. Some models of handheld flashlights include an integrated "strike bezel" for use as a self-defense weapon. All of Surefire's flashlights are manufactured in the United States, although components such as LEDs are sometimes sourced overseas. Most Surefire flashlight models are made of anodized aluminum alloy in various colors, while

672-421: Is the production of adhesives and glues, which normally require the mixing of raw materials in a heated vessel for a period of time to form a quantity of end product. Other important examples are the production of food, beverages and medicine. Batch processes are generally used to produce a relatively low to intermediate quantity of product per year (a few pounds to millions of pounds). A continuous physical system

714-681: The 1984 Summer Olympics .The company also supplied and supported production of the film 'The Terminator' in 1984 and is listed in the end credits. Laser Products developed its first "SureFire" branded product — a handgun mounted light in 1985. Laser Products Corporation became SureFire, LLC in 2000. More recently, SureFire attained ISO9001:2000 certification in 2008. Surefire produces flashlights of widely varying sizes and power outputs from single-cell lights to large 20-cell HID models. Most of its flashlights are powered by primary lithium CR123A batteries that allow for compact size and low weight while offering high power output. These batteries offer

756-444: The Newport Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Ophir Optronics , for $ 980 million in a 2016 leveraged buyout . It acquired Electro Scientific Industries in 2019, and Atotech in 2021. In 2021, MKS Instruments had about 5,400 employees and a market capitalization of about $ 11 billion. As of 2021, sixty percent of the company's sales are from semiconductor products. On February 3, 2023, MKS Instruments fell victim to

798-450: The PID controller A PID Controller includes proportional, integrating, and derivative controller functions. Applications having elements of batch and continuous process control are often called hybrid applications. The fundamental building block of any industrial control system is the control loop , which controls just one process variable. An example is shown in the accompanying diagram, where

840-409: The 1760s, process controls inventions were aimed to replace human operators with mechanized processes. In 1784, Oliver Evans created a water-powered flourmill which operated using buckets and screw conveyors. Henry Ford applied the same theory in 1910 when the assembly line was created to decrease human intervention in the automobile production process. For continuously variable process control it

882-475: The 1930s, pneumatic and electronic controllers, such as PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) controllers, were breakthrough innovations that laid the groundwork for modern control theory. The late 20th century saw the rise of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and distributed control systems (DCS), while the advent of microprocessors further revolutionized IPC by enabling more complex control algorithms. Early process control breakthroughs came most frequently in

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924-453: The control room was required to view different parts of the process. With the coming of electronic processors and graphic displays it became possible to replace these discrete controllers with computer-based algorithms, hosted on a network of input/output racks with their own control processors. These could be distributed around the plant, and communicate with the graphic display in the control room or rooms. The distributed control system (DCS)

966-413: The current rate of change; this was then given a mathematical treatment by Minorsky. His goal was stability, not general control, which simplified the problem significantly. While proportional control provided stability against small disturbances, it was insufficient for dealing with a steady disturbance, notably a stiff gale (due to steady-state error ), which required adding the integral term. Finally,

1008-439: The customers and strengthens the company's reputation. It improves safety by detecting and alerting human operators about potential issues early, thus preventing accidents, equipment failures, process disruptions and costly downtime. Analyzing trends and behaviors in the vast amounts of data collected real-time helps engineers identify areas of improvement, refine control strategies and continuously enhance production efficiency using

1050-419: The derivative term was added to improve stability and control. Process control of large industrial plants has evolved through many stages. Initially, control would be from panels local to the process plant. However this required a large manpower resource to attend to these dispersed panels, and there was no overall view of the process. The next logical development was the transmission of all plant measurements to

1092-527: The design of large high volume and complex processes, which could not be otherwise economically or safely operated. Historical milestones in the development of industrial process control began in ancient civilizations, where water level control devices were used to regulate water flow for irrigation and water clocks. During the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, there was a growing need for precise control over boiler pressure in steam engines. In

1134-432: The flow rate in a pipe is controlled by a PID controller , assisted by what is effectively a cascaded loop in the form of a valve servo-controller to ensure correct valve positioning. Some large systems may have several hundreds or thousands of control loops. In complex processes the loops are interactive, so that the operation of one loop may affect the operation of another. The system diagram for representing control loops

1176-431: The form of water control devices. Ktesibios of Alexandria is credited for inventing float valves to regulate water level of water clocks in the 3rd century BC. In the 1st century AD, Heron of Alexandria invented a water valve similar to the fill valve used in modern toilets. Later process controls inventions involved basic physics principles. In 1620, Cornelis Drebbel invented a bimetallic thermostat for controlling

1218-571: The industrial machines run smoothly and safely in factories and efficiently use energy to transform raw materials into high-quality finished products with reliable consistency while reducing energy waste and economic costs , something which could not be achieved purely by human manual control. In IPC, control theory provides the theoretical framework to understand system dynamics, predict outcomes and design control strategies to ensure predetermined objectives, utilizing concepts like feedback loops, stability analysis and controller design. On

1260-455: The margins necessary to ensure product specifications are met. This can be done by improving the control of the process to minimize the effect of disturbances on the process. The efficiency is improved in a two step method of narrowing the variance and shifting the target. Margins can be narrowed through various process upgrades (i.e. equipment upgrades, enhanced control methods, etc.). Once margins are narrowed, an economic analysis can be done on

1302-576: The most familiar example of which is the Hummer ." This was later used in SureFire's 2007 product catalogue. 33°41′51″N 117°56′13″W  /  33.6975743°N 117.9368605°W  / 33.6975743; -117.9368605 Newport Corporation (company) MKS Instruments, Inc. is an American process control instrumentation company. It is headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts . MKS Instruments

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1344-513: The other hand, the physical apparatus of IPC, based on automation technologies, consists of several components. Firstly, a network of sensors continuously measure various process variables (such as temperature, pressure, etc.) and product quality variables. A programmable logic controller (PLC, for smaller, less complex processes) or a distributed control system (DCS, for large-scale or geographically dispersed processes) analyzes this sensor data transmitted to it, compares it to predefined setpoints using

1386-489: The process remains within established parameters. The HMI (Human-Machine Interface) acts as the "control panel" for the IPC system where small number of human operators can monitor the process and make informed decisions regarding adjustments. IPCs can range from controlling the temperature and level of a single process vessel (controlled environment tank for mixing, separating, reacting, or storing materials in industrial processes.) to

1428-583: The safe and efficient production of chemicals by controlling temperature, pressure and reaction rates. Oil refineries use it to smoothly convert crude oil into gasoline and other petroleum products. In power plants, it helps maintain stable operating conditions necessary for a continuous electricity supply. In food and beverage production, it helps ensure consistent texture, safety and quality. Pharmaceutical companies relies on it to produce life-saving drugs safely and effectively. The development of large industrial process control systems has been instrumental in enabling

1470-409: The supervisory computers, which collate information from processor nodes on the system, and provide the operator control screens; Level 3 is the production control level, which does not directly control the process, but is concerned with monitoring production and monitoring targets; Level 4 is the production scheduling level. To determine the fundamental model for any process, the inputs and outputs of

1512-401: The system are defined differently than for other chemical processes. The balance equations are defined by the control inputs and outputs rather than the material inputs. The control model is a set of equations used to predict the behavior of a system and can help determine what the response to change will be. The state variable (x) is a measurable variable that is a good indicator of the state of

1554-415: The system, such as temperature (energy balance), volume (mass balance) or concentration (component balance). Input variable (u) is a specified variable that commonly include flow rates. The entering and exiting flows are both considered control inputs. The control input can be classified as a manipulated, disturbance, or unmonitored variable. Parameters (p) are usually a physical limitation and something that

1596-416: The temperature in a furnace. In 1681, Denis Papin discovered the pressure inside a vessel could be regulated by placing weights on top of the vessel lid. In 1745, Edmund Lee created the fantail to improve windmill efficiency; a fantail was a smaller windmill placed 90° of the larger fans to keep the face of the windmill pointed directly into the oncoming wind. With the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in

1638-547: Was born. The introduction of DCSs allowed easy interconnection and re-configuration of plant controls such as cascaded loops and interlocks, and easy interfacing with other production computer systems. It enabled sophisticated alarm handling, introduced automatic event logging, removed the need for physical records such as chart recorders, allowed the control racks to be networked and thereby located locally to plant to reduce cabling runs, and provided high level overviews of plant status and production levels. The accompanying diagram

1680-520: Was founded in 1961 as a provider of products and technologies used to measure, control, power, and monitor critical process parameters of advanced manufacturing processes. In 2001, the company acquired Emerson Electric 's ENI Division which makes solid-state RF and DC plasma power supplies, networks and instruments. In April 2014, Brooks Automation entered into an agreement to sell its Granville-Phillips division to MKS Instruments. MKS Instruments more than doubled their addressable market by acquiring

1722-428: Was necessary to keep the level constant. A cascaded flow controller could then calculate the change in the valve position. The economic nature of many products manufactured in batch and continuous processes require highly efficient operation due to thin margins. The competing factor in process control is that products must meet certain specifications in order to be satisfactory. These specifications can come in two forms:

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1764-504: Was not until 1922 that a formal control law for what we now call PID control or three-term control was first developed using theoretical analysis, by Russian American engineer Nicolas Minorsky . Minorsky was researching and designing automatic ship steering for the US Navy and based his analysis on observations of a helmsman . He noted the helmsman steered the ship based not only on the current course error, but also on past error, as well as

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