Advanced process control in South Africa is often implemented on expensive imported systems using packaged technology. It can be difficult to find a platform that is both user-friendly and developer-friendly - most commercial platforms offer packaged solutions that do not allow the easy incorporation of additional technology required by developers or users.
PlantStar, developed by Mintek, is a general platform that is tailored especially for the easy and rapid development and application of advanced control strategies. PlantStar was developed to address the need for a world-class open platform that is particularly suited for fast implementations by developers. Since its launch in 2000, PlantStar has proved to be successful and sustainable. Mintek believes that this success stems from its team of software specialists working in co-operation with development and implementation engineers on many industrial plants.
The package runs on Windows 2000 or Windows XP, and includes useful features from the latest Internet and Microsoft technologies, including XML, .Net and DCOM... Configuration is by directory-like tree structures, with drag-and-drop functionality, and with links to configurable mimics. Being a member of the OPC foundation, Mintek has also provided PlantStar with the international OPC standard for communications between modules from diverse systems. This enables the previously tricky job of programming communications with scadas, DCSs and PLCs to be reduced to a relatively simple task, which is often just a quick user configuration.
In most commercial systems, developers can undertake specialised customisation only with great difficulty. PlantStar, however, is designed specifically for the smooth integration of customised modules written by anyone. By means of a development kit, developers can wrap up their software, written in C, C++, or Visual Basic, into a dll module that becomes integrated into PlantStar's standard systems for configuration, execution, displays, logging, etc. Modules are placed in libraries, from which they can be selected and configured in applications. Where appropriate, wizards can be provided to facilitate the configuration of modules by the user in applications.
PlantStar is fast accumulating excellent general and specific modules from which selections can be made for specific applications. Besides common functionalities such as PI control, rules and fuzzy logic, the general modules include advanced autotuning, delay compensation, model predictive control, multivariable limit prioritising and state-of-the-art neural networks.
Specialised modules include Mintek's successful FloatStar advanced pulp level stabilisation and circuit-wide flotation optimisation system, the MillStar stabilising and optimising controller for milling circuits, and the Minstral control technology for submerged-arc furnaces. The InfoStar module provides powerful facilities for management information and advanced data processing.
Industrial applications are running on the PlantStar platform at metallurgical plants in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Australia, Brazil, and Poland. Mintek expects to broaden the implementation base of PlantStar by supplying it to developers and users in many fields.
For more information contact: Philip Smith, Head: Marketing and Sales, Mintek, tel: 011 709 4520, e-mail: [email protected], or website: www.mintek.co.za
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