The dynamics of temperature present unique control challenges due largely to the associated Dead-Time. The tendency of temperature to drift combined with the delay that’s involved with returning it to Set Point often results in oscillations. Without effective control, that behavior can undermine production.

Whether a given chemical reaction is exothermic or endothermic the challenge of reaching the objective temperature quickly while keeping Overshoot in check can be significant. An effective PID-based control strategy can transition control of this production phase from manual to fully automatic.

 If the first order of business is to complete a given chemical reaction, then reducing the associated cycle time is a close second for many chemical manufacturers. Tight control of the production cycle limits the use of inputs. It also enables more batches to be produced using the same infrastructure.