Beyond Retuning – A Light-Weight Program for Sustained Control Loop Health, TAPPICon26

Regulatory control loops in pulp and paper mills are typically tuned during commissioning but gradually degrade due to changing process conditions, mechanical wear, filtering adjustments, and operational intervention. Although this deterioration is often subtle, the cumulative impact manifests as increased variability, reduced constraint margins, higher energy intensity, greater maintenance demand, and wider quality distributions. This paper presents a practical, lightweight framework for sustaining control loop health using historian-derived key performance indicators (KPIs) and a structured monthly Pareto review process. By focusing on a concise set of metrics—steady-state variance, percent mean absolute error, oscillation index, controller mode statistics, and valve travel and reversal rates—mills can identify and prioritize the small subset of loops driving disproportionate instability. The approach emphasizes simplicity, repeatability, and clear linkage between metrics and corrective action, enabling a shift from episodic retuning campaigns to continuous performance stewardship.

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