A smart valve positioner is provided with a local user interface with non-mechanical touch buttons and a display inside a positioner housing under a housing cover for locally operating the valve positioner. The touch buttons are user-operable by touching the touch buttons when the housing cover is open. The housing cover is arranged to make the touch buttons user-operable from outside the housing by touching the housing cover, when the housing cover is closed.

A component mounting machine which deals with a component remaining on a nozzle of a mounting head includes a board conveyance device conveying a board to a predetermined position, a component supply device accommodating multiple components therein, a component mounting device on which a mounting head which picks up and holds a component by vacuum pumping of a suction nozzle is installed and which mounts a component which is taken out from the component supply device onto a board which is conveyed by the board conveyance device, and a control device controlling each of the devices. The component mounting device performs lowering of the component, releasing the component with respect to the suction nozzle of the mounting head, a first lifting of the component to a middle height, a component pickup performed at the height of the first lifting, and a second lifting after the component pickup.

A control system has an I/O bank with a communication module controlling a plurality of Input/Output modules operably connected to its communication backplane and a valve manifold having a communication module serially connected to the backplane of the I/O bank. The I/O bank with a plurality of Input/Output modules is constructed to be connected to a plurality of field sensors or loads. The valve manifold with a plurality of solenoid valves is constructed to be pneumatically connected to a plurality of field devices.

An electropneumatic positioner for a pneumatic actuator to operate a control device of a processing plant can include two modular pneumatic slots and a pneumatic control output. The two modular pneumatic slots can engage with a respective modular pneumatic component. The two pneumatic slots and the pneumatic components can be modularly matched to one another such that their respective pneumatic interfaces merge into one another when a pneumatic slot is engaged. The pneumatic control output can output a pneumatic control pressure signal to the pneumatic actuator. The two modular pneumatic slots and the pneumatic control output can form a pneumatic series connection.

An electropneumatic positioner for a pneumatic actuator to operate a control device of a processing plant can include two modular pneumatic slots and a pneumatic control output. The two modular pneumatic slots can engage with a respective modular pneumatic component. The two pneumatic slots and the pneumatic components can be modularly matched to one another such that their respective pneumatic interfaces merge into one another when a pneumatic slot is engaged. The pneumatic control output can output a pneumatic control pressure signal to the pneumatic actuator. The two modular pneumatic slots and the pneumatic control output can form a pneumatic series connection.

Systems and methods may be provided to digitally control both position and crossover pressure in a double-acting pneumatic actuator, in view of constraints (e.g., a deadband range comprising a set point) set on the crossover pressure. Control may be achieved, via a control algorithm (e.g., a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) control algorithm) acting upon inputs of actuator position feedback and crossover pressure feedback (e.g., as indicated by pressure feedback of each respective pneumatic chamber). Further, the embodiments described herein may reduce the necessary frequency of control actions for adjusting crossover pressure, thus reducing wear on process components, and allowing for finer control of actuator position.

Systems and methods may be provided to digitally control both position and crossover pressure in a double-acting pneumatic actuator, in view of constraints (e.g., a deadband range comprising a set point) set on the crossover pressure. Control may be achieved, via a control algorithm (e.g., a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) control algorithm) acting upon inputs of actuator position feedback and crossover pressure feedback (e.g., as indicated by pressure feedback of each respective pneumatic chamber). Further, the embodiments described herein may reduce the necessary frequency of control actions for adjusting crossover pressure, thus reducing wear on process components, and allowing for finer control of actuator position.

The present invention relates to a vacuum control unit that outputs an operation signal for transfer of an object depending on each internal pressure condition of a plurality of vacuum pumps in a vacuum transfer system. The control unit includes a module stack in which modules individually corresponding to each vacuum pump are assembled in a close contact manner and a control unit disposed at one side of the stack and being in signal connection with each module. Each module includes one side sensor unit configured to detect inner pressure of the vacuum pump and the other side terminal unit connected to an electronic valve configured to open and close a compressed air inlet of the vacuum pump.

The invention concerns a method for controlling a mechanism (10) displaying asymmetrical behaviour, the mechanism (10) comprising a first operating direction (F+) and a second operating direction (F?), the control method making it possible to generate, using a control module (24) of a computer (20), a control signal (x_com) from a setpoint signal (x_cons), in whichwhen the setpoint signal (x_cons) indicates that the mechanism (10) should be operated in the first direction (F+), the control module (24) applies a first corrector (100) to the setpoint signal (x_cons) in order to generate a control signal (x_com),when the setpoint signal (x_cons) indicates that the mechanism (10) should be operated in the second direction (F?), the control module (24) applies a second corrector (100) to the setpoint signal (x_cons) in order to generate a control signal (x_com), and in which the first and second correctors (100, 200) have different parameters (Kp1, Kp2, Ti1, Ti2), in order to compensate for the asymmetrical behaviour of the mechanism (10).

A system includes a processor. The processor estimates a pattern of a flow of a mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings in an annulus of a wellbore. The flow is estimated as a stationary bed flow, a dispersed flow, or a transitional flow relative to the stationary bed and dispersed flows. The processor estimates parameters based on the estimated pattern of the flow, and determines a plurality of dimensionless parameters including a first dimensionless parameter corresponding to an effect of turbulence on the flow and a second dimensionless parameter corresponding to an effect of gravity on the flow, based on the estimated parameters. The processor characterizes the pattern of the flow as the stationary bed flow, the dispersed flow, or the transitional flow, based on the dimensionless parameters, and models the flow based on the estimated pattern if it is determined that the characterized pattern matches the estimated pattern.