Abstract: Aspects analyze the performance of a plurality of measurement sensors as a function of sensor performance attributes. Different types of sensor performance attribute values are defined for different types of sensors deployed within a manufacturing process infrastructure. The performance attribute values include a nominal value of a sensor data output or a sensor operating voltage signal during operation of the sensor, and an associated range of acceptable values during the operation of the sensor. A drift value defines how far the sensor signal can change over a defined drift time period during the operation of the sensor. Combinations of the defined values are selected for different types of the deployed sensors, and trends determined over time for values of the sensor signals as functions of their different respective selected combinations of values. The sensors are ranked and reported and grouped (as ranked) as a function of the determined trends.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining production and control utilization information for an industrial plant, wherein the information is in an electronic format and collected over time, grouping the information, based on a type of the information, into a plurality of groups, wherein the information in each group is for a same type of information, trending the information in each group over time, aggregating the trended information, evaluating the aggregated information based on predetermined evaluation criteria, and generating an electronic signal indicating the information that satisfied the predetermined evaluation criteria and the information that did not satisfy the predetermined evaluation criteria.

Abstract: Normalized values are determined from variance partition analysis data boxes acquired for a reel of paper. The value include an average value of variability of machine direction long-term scan energy over a time period; an average value of variability of cross direction profile scan energy observed in a spatial domain over a second time period; an average value of variability of energy of a remainder of data points that are averaged out from a total of machine direction long-term scan average energy variability and cross direction profile scan average energy variability during a third time period; and a total variability value as a function of the machine direction long-term scan average energy variability, the cross direction profile scan average energy variability and the data points remainder average energy variability. An automated diagnosis and analysis function is performed that is specific to one of the values exceeding a threshold.

Abstract: Basic data storage units are defined as tags that each have a particular data value and represent a single piece of data storage representing a logged data value within a centralized data storage system. Each of the tags have associated properties representing metadata stored for each tag comprising a size of the data for that tag or a source of the data for that tag. Each entry into the centralized data storage system represents the particular data value of each of the tag at an instant in time. All data entries in the centralized data storage system comprise one each of the tags, the particular data value of the each tag, and a timestamp for the each tag.

Abstract: A data package format library is provided to load, create and manipulate data from a plurality of different data formats into a format of a data package object. The data package object is a base object that represents a collection of information comprising time series data, equipment models, events, and relates the application-specific information to the time series data. Accordingly, strongly typed time series information from a data input received in one of the plurality of different data formats via an interface of the data package format library is stored in the data package object format. Time stamp data for each data point in another of the different data formats, and scalar and vector time series information in still another of the different data formats, are each received via respective interfaces of the data package format library and stored into the computer-readable storage medium in the data package object format.

Abstract: Customer data is received via a secure communication tunnel connection by a device from one or more customer systems, the device and systems both physically located within a customer facility. Key performance indicator (KPI) data associated with the customer systems is generated by a processing unit of the device from the received customer data and displayed in a format appropriate to the received data and the generated KPI data, via selection and application of one or more automated service tools from a plurality of tools each sharing a common architecture infrastructure. The generated KPI data is visually displayed in a graphical user interface dashboard report to a service expert in a reporting format that is readily indicative of a resolution of a performance problem of the customer system to the service expert. In some examples the KPI reporting is transformative of the underlying received data, thereby maintaining confidentiality.

Abstract: A method is provided for analyzing and diagnosing a large scale process automation control system having a plurality of control loops. Assessments for pre-defined key performance indicators (KPIs) are automatically generated for control, process and signal sections of each control loop. The automatically generated assessments of the pre-defined KPIs may be displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer. A user may change the automatically generated assessments of the pre-defined KPIs. Different data views may also be displayed in the GUI. The data views include time series trends for measured process variable, controller output, controller set point and error, as well as controller parameter clustering views in two-dimensional and three-dimensional plots.

Abstract: A method is provided for analyzing and diagnosing a large scale process automation control system having a plurality of control loops. Assessments for pre-defined key performance indicators (KPIs) are automatically generated for control, process and signal sections of each control loop. The automatically generated assessments of the pre-defined KPIs may be displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer. A user may change the automatically generated assessments of the pre-defined KPIs. Different data views may also be displayed in the GUI. The data views include time series trends for measured process variable, controller output, controller set point and error, as well as controller parameter clustering views in two-dimensional and three-dimensional plots.

Abstract: A system includes an identification component configured to identify a set of key performance indicators that fail to satisfy predetermined acceptance criteria based on acquired performance data, where the set of key performance indicators is indicative of performance of components of a process control system. The system further includes a visualization component configured to visually present the identified set of key performance indicators, the components, and the acquired performance data in a graphical user interface displayed via a monitor. The system further includes a manual override component configured to allow a user to manually override and modify the information presented by the graphical user interface based, at least in part, on the acquired performance data.

Abstract: A web making machine is monitored to identify at least one cross-machine direction (CD) actuator that is developing local mapping problems. The identified CD actuator and a segment of surrounding actuators are probed to determine a performance curve for the actuator. The center of an insensitivity region of the performance curve is selected as an optimal mapping alignment setting for the identified actuator with the setting for the actuator being updated. Global smoothing may also be accomplished by probing a global smoothness factor to generate a corresponding performance curve that is then similarly used to select an optimal value for the smoothness factor.

Abstract: Fast cross direction caliper control recovery time in a sheet making machine during startup of the machine after a sheet break is achieved provided that a preselected time duration measured from the occurrence of the sheet break to the clearing of sheet break has elapsed. One or both of calender stack conditioning and conditioning of a measurement from a sensor for measuring caliper of the sheet, both with feedback CD control suspended, can be selectably performed. These operations can be performed concurrently if the selected time duration for both are identical. A closed loop change in a set of control tuning parameters of a PI controller providing feedback caliper control of actuators associated with the calender stack can be performed after either or both of the other operations are performed.

Abstract: A web making machine is monitored to identify at least one cross-machine direction (CD) actuator that is developing local mapping problems. The identified CD actuator and a segment of surrounding actuators are probed to determine a performance curve for the actuator. The center of an insensitivity region of the performance curve is selected as an optimal mapping alignment setting for the identified actuator with the setting for the actuator being updated. Global smoothing may also be accomplished by probing a global smoothness factor to generate a corresponding performance curve that is then similarly used to select an optimal value for the smoothness factor.

Abstract: A web making machine is monitored to identify at least one cross-machine direction (CD) actuator that is developing local mapping problems. The identified CD actuator and a segment of surrounding actuators are probed to determine a performance curve for the actuator. The center of an insensitivity region of the performance curve is selected as an optimal mapping alignment setting for the identified actuator with the setting for the actuator being updated. Global smoothing may also be accomplished by probing a global smoothness factor to generate a corresponding performance curve that is then similarly used to select an optimal value for the smoothness factor.