©2026 Automation.com, a subsidiary of the International Society of Automation.
-
ISA provides technical resources and standards to help industrial automation professionals advance their careers and the field. We enable automation professionals worldwide to solve problems and enhance their skills by bringing people together to create new technologies and share best practices with future automation professionals.-
ISA Resources
-
Upcoming Events
-
Industry Insights
-
Consortia
-
Author Profile
Gregory K. McMillan
271 Results Found
-
Feature
How to Check out DCS I/O at the Panel Shop
An I/O checkout on a DCS system is rather difficult because there is no means to “force” the I/O as you can most PLCs -
FeatureWhat Are the Factors that Affect VFD Rangeability?
What are the factors that affect VFD rangeability? -
FeatureHow to Create a P&ID
P&IDs should generally follow ISA symbols for the basic instruments. If you follow that symbology, most anyone can read and understand the P&IDs quickly. -
Feature
What Are the Important Criteria for Selecting a System Integrator for an Industrial Project?
Choosing an integrator for an industrial automation project is like choosing an architect for the house of your dreams – you can get almost any architect to build a dwelling structure, but the house o -
Feature
How to Select a System Integrator for an Industrial Automation Project
Look for an industrial systems integrator that can add value…not one that just does what you tell them. A good integrator will ask lots of questions so they fully understand your process. -
FeatureAnnubar or Orifice Flowmeter: What Is the Best Application for an Oil Storage Tank?
The permanent pressure loss is less for an annubar than an orifice flowmeter. -
FeatureWhat Is the Proper Back Pressure Control Valve Type?
To minimize interaction between a back pressure loop and a flow loop in series, the pressure drop should be much greater across the flow control valve. -
FeatureWhat Are Best Practices for Sizing a Pump Recycle Valve?
Recycle valves are used to maintain limited flow through a pump to avoid cavitation under dead-head or low flow conditions. -
Feature
How Do You Handle Manual Operations in Industrial Process Control?
With a requirement for manual action, slow down transitions in manual operations by use of velocity limits on the setpoints of PID and analog output blocks. -
Feature
How Do You Determine a Measurement Is Good Enough for Control?
Often measurement errors are expressed as a percent of full scale and are therefore larger in terms of percent of operating setpoint. -
Feature
Are changes in pipeline pressure affecting your loop?
Are changes in pipeline pressure affecting your loop? -
Feature
What are the best packed column temperature(s) for control?
What are the best packed column temperature(s) for control? -
FeatureWhat Is the Effect of the Pump on Control Valves at Lower Rates?
What is the effect of the pump on control valves at lower rates? -
Feature
Tutorial Download: How to Optimize Industrial Distillation and Reactor Performance
Excellent temperature control is the key to both distillation and reactor performance. -
Feature
What Is an Automation Migration Project Best Path Forward?
Process control migration best path forward: How do you achieve both when schedule and cost are constraints or better yet roadblocks? -
FeatureWhat Is the Best Way to Document a Control System?
It is possible to create a documentation format that works for design and construction and then can be gradually “morphed” into a format that meets the needs of production -
FeatureHow to Tune a Temperature Control Loop When Auto-Tuning Takes Too Long
Test time for tuning temperature control can be reduced by using the near-integrating method. It identifies the deadtime and initial ramp rate. -
Feature
How Do You Know When Feedforward Is Needed?
If on a trend recording a change in an input flow or speed (load) associated with a primary process loop causes a significant change in the primary process variable, there is an opportunity for feedfo -
FeatureHow to Select the Best Industrial Controller: MPC, Fuzzy Logic, or PID?
Linear programs and real-time optimization need the prediction to violation of constraints inherent in MPC. -
Feature
Eliminate Deadtime with Mentoring and Social Media
You cannot avoid the need to spend time in the field. Knowledge can be accelerated by communicating with the "best," directly and through ISA publications