Glossary · Automation fundamentals, platforms and components
Process automation
Also known as: Process control
German: Prozessautomatisierung
In industrial automation, process automation is the automation of continuous and batch processes in which materials are transformed chemically, physically or biologically, as in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, oil and gas, water or energy. It typically relies on distributed control systems, closed-loop control of process variables and batch control.
- Automation components
- Process industry
In one sentence
Process automation controls continuous and batch processes in chemicals, pharma, food, energy and water, mostly with closed-loop control and DCS.
Example
In a water treatment plant, the control system keeps chlorine dosing, flow and tank levels at their setpoints around the clock.
How it applies
- Engineering: Process plants are dominated by Closed-loop control of Process variable values such as temperature, pressure, flow and level, plus sequences for batches (ISA-88). Functional safety in the process industry follows IEC 61511.
- Operation: Operators supervise from a control room at the Supervisory level, with alarms, trends and batch reports.
- Documentation: Process plants are documented with P&IDs, loop diagrams, control narratives and operating procedures. The documentation team should keep tag names consistent across all of them.
Process automation vs. factory automation
Factory (discrete) automation handles countable items: parts are machined, assembled and packed, with fast motion control and PLCs. Process automation handles flowing materials, where continuous control and long-running, often hazardous processes dominate. Many plants mix both, for example a pharma plant with batch production and discrete packaging.