Process control that keeps
your product on spec.
DCS engineering and S88-compliant batch management for continuous and recipe-driven operations — grounded in process physics, not just control system software.
Operators chasing setpoints by hand. Product drifts out of spec when nobody's watching.
- —Loops in manual because auto is unstable
- —Batch records filled in by hand
- —New products require code changes
Process holds spec automatically. Batch records write themselves. New products are recipe configurations.
- Tuned loops running in automatic
- Electronic batch records from system data
- S88 recipes — no code changes needed
Discrete manufacturing has clear states — a part is in position or it isn't. Process control is continuous. Temperatures drift. Pressures oscillate. Concentrations shift. The control system's job is to hold everything within spec despite disturbances that never stop.
We engineer distributed control systems and batch process architectures as a process control system integrator. PID loop tuning performed on your actual process, not in simulation. S88-compliant batch management with structured recipe hierarchies, full traceability, and the flexibility to scale without rewriting logic.
This is process engineering as much as it is controls engineering. We understand heat transfer, reaction kinetics, and fluid dynamics well enough to design control strategies that actually work.
Process engineering,
not just programming.
Six process control disciplines,
one integrated system.
DCS Engineering
Distributed control system design and programming for continuous processes — chemical reactors, distillation columns, heat exchangers, dryers, and similar unit operations. Controller architecture, I/O assignment, network design, and operator interface development for systems where hundreds or thousands of control loops run simultaneously. Both traditional DCS platforms and PLC-based distributed architectures depending on your scale, complexity, and maintenance strategy.
Batch Management (ISA-88 / S88)
Batch control system design compliant with the ISA-88 standard. Procedural model hierarchy — procedure, unit procedure, operation, and phase — structured so recipes are modular, reusable, and editable by process engineers without modifying PLC code. Recipe management for multi-product facilities. Equipment phases designed as building blocks that recipes assemble — so a new product introduction is a recipe configuration, not a controls engineering project.
PID Loop Tuning
Control loop tuning on your actual process, under your actual operating conditions, with your actual disturbances. We tune for the conditions your operators deal with — load changes, feed variations, grade transitions, and startup dynamics. Cascade loops, ratio controls, feedforward compensation, and override strategies configured where single-loop PID isn't sufficient. Tuning parameters, process response data, and rationale documented so your team can retune if conditions change.
Advanced Process Control (APC)
For processes where PID alone can't hold the product spec tightly enough — multivariable interactions, long dead times, nonlinear dynamics — we implement advanced control strategies. Model Predictive Control (MPC), inferential measurements, and constraint-based optimization for processes where tighter control directly translates to higher yield, lower energy consumption, or reduced off-spec product. We implement APC where the economic case is clear, not because it's sophisticated.
Continuous Process Control
Control strategies for unit operations that run 24/7 — reactors, distillation, evaporators, heat exchangers, and combustion systems. Startup and shutdown sequencing for continuous processes that can't simply be turned on and off. Grade transition management for facilities that switch between products without stopping the process. Abnormal situation management — what happens when a measurement fails, a valve sticks, or a feed composition changes unexpectedly.
Operator Interface for Process Control
Process graphics designed for situation awareness in environments where operators monitor dozens or hundreds of loops simultaneously. Trend-centric displays, abnormal situation indicators, and navigation structures that match how operators actually manage the process. Faceplate standards for PID loops, motor controls, and valve objects — consistent across the plant so operators learn one interface paradigm and apply it everywhere.
Every process
that runs on chemistry.
If your process involves continuous variables, recipe-driven production, or regulatory traceability — this is our domain.
Chemical and Petrochemical
Reactor control, distillation, blending, polymerization, and tank farm management. Safety Instrumented Systems integrated with the process control architecture.
Pharmaceutical and Biotech
Batch manufacturing with full regulatory traceability. CIP, SIP, fermentation, purification, and formulation. 21 CFR Part 11 compliant electronic batch records.
Food and Beverage
Cooking, mixing, pasteurization, fermentation, CIP, and packaging line integration. Recipe management for multi-product facilities with frequent changeovers.
Water and Wastewater
Treatment process control for filtration, chemical dosing, aeration, disinfection, and sludge handling. Regulatory compliance reporting from process data.
Pulp and Paper
Continuous process control for digesters, bleach plants, paper machines, and chemical recovery systems.
Specialty Chemicals and Coatings
Small-batch, high-mix manufacturing where recipe flexibility and material traceability are critical.
From control narrative
to on-spec production.
Define the process.
We work from your P&IDs, process descriptions, and operating procedures to build a control narrative — a document that describes how every loop, sequence, and interlock should behave under normal, abnormal, startup, and shutdown conditions. Reviewed with your process and operations teams before any programming begins.
Design the control system.
Controller architecture, I/O assignment, network topology, instrument list coordination, and recipe model design for batch. The control philosophy document defines tuning strategies, alarm philosophy, and operator interface standards.
Develop and configure.
DCS or PLC programming, batch recipe development, HMI/SCADA configuration, historian setup, and batch reporting. Simulated testing using process models or I/O simulation before deployment.
Tune and commission.
On-site commissioning with loop-by-loop checkout, instrument calibration verification, and process control loop tuning on the live process. Batch recipe testing on actual equipment through trial batches. We stay until the process runs within spec.
Validate (where required).
For GMP environments: IQ/OQ/PQ protocols, executed test scripts, deviation management, and summary reports. Documentation packages that satisfy your quality team and auditors.
Platforms and standards.
Platform selection depends on your scale, complexity, and team capability. We recommend based on total cost of ownership.
- Integrated DCS
- HART / Foundation Fieldbus I/O
- Continuous and batch control
- Built-in historian
- ControlLogix-based DCS
- Process object library
- Faceplate standards
- Alarm management tools
- PROFIBUS PA / PROFINET
- Batch Flexible (ISA-88)
- PCS neo web-based engineering
- Experion PKS
- ABB 800xA
- Enterprise DCS for large-scale continuous operations
- ISA-88 (S88) batch
- ISA-95 (S95) MES interface
- ISA-18.2 alarm management
- IEC 61511 SIS
Process physics first,
software second.
Process engineers, not just programmers.
Writing PID code is programming. Knowing why a cascade loop is the right architecture for a heat exchanger, or why a feedforward compensator will solve the disturbance rejection problem that retuning the PID won't — that's process control engineering. Our team understands the process physics, not just the control system software.
We tune on your process, not in theory.
Tuning parameters calculated from process models are a starting point. Final tuning happens on your live process, with your actual product, under your actual operating disturbances. We tune for the conditions your operators deal with daily — not the textbook conditions that exist for ten minutes during a step test.
Batch systems designed for flexibility.
An S88-compliant batch system isn't just a regulatory checkbox — it's an architecture that lets you add new products, modify recipes, and scale production without rewriting PLC code every time. We design batch systems for the plant that's going to grow and change, not just the plant that exists today.
Validation-ready from the start.
For GMP environments, validation isn't a phase we add at the end — it's built into the design and development process. Test scripts are written against the functional specification. Deviations are managed formally. The documentation package is designed to satisfy auditors, not just engineers.
For large continuous operations with thousands of I/O points and tight integration between control, safety, and asset management — a traditional DCS is often the right choice. For smaller or mid-sized facilities, batch-dominant operations, or plants that want to consolidate on PLC hardware — PlantPAx or Siemens PCS 7 provides DCS capability on a familiar platform. We'll recommend based on your scale, complexity, and team capability.
Yes. Loop tuning is one of the highest-ROI services in process control. Many plants run with loops in manual, detuned PIDs, or aggressive tuning that causes oscillation and valve wear. We assess your loop performance, identify the worst offenders, and tune them on your process. Typical engagements cover 20–100 loops in a focused site visit.
S88 separates the recipe (what to make) from the equipment control (how to make it). This means you can add new products by configuring recipes rather than modifying PLC code. It also means the same recipe can run on different equipment units, and batch records are generated automatically with full traceability. Simple recipe systems work for basic applications but break down when you need flexibility, traceability, and multi-product capability.
We design the SIS as a separate, independent layer from the basic process control system (BPCS) — per IEC 61511. The SIS has its own controller, its own I/O, and its own logic. It communicates with the BPCS for monitoring and alarming but does not depend on it for safety function execution. The two systems are architecturally independent so that a failure in the BPCS doesn't compromise the safety function.
Yes. We develop and execute IQ/OQ/PQ validation protocols for batch control systems in pharmaceutical and food manufacturing environments. Validation documentation includes test scripts with defined acceptance criteria, deviation reports, trace matrices, and summary reports. We've navigated FDA, EU GMP, and customer audit requirements on batch system validations.
Straight answers.
Need process control engineering?
Whether it's DCS design, batch system development, loop tuning, or a control strategy that needs to be rethought — tell us about the process.