Automation of technological processes of chemical and heat treatment of products for industrial enterprises
Background. Chemical and heat treatment (CHT) is used to improve the functional properties of parts and tools, and in the first place - in order to increase their strength and durability. Industrial experience shows that results of CHT are not always satisfactory, especially when the products are with increased demands on operational properties. These factors are mainly explained by the lack of reliable methods and tools of relevant technological parameters control. A necessity arises of CHT processes automation - study and development an automated process control system (APCS) - a hardware-software system for automatic monitoring and control of CHT processes using modern mathematical methods of optimization and electronic tools. Materials and/or methods. Theoretical and methodological basis of the study are the works of Russian and foreign scientists in the domain of theory and practice of CHT. The methods are used of complicated technical systems control and synthesis of organizational management structures. Analytical and empirical methods and models are applied based on queuing theory and graph theory, as well as modeling techniques and statistical models based on the use of modern information technologies and computer engineering. Results. Mathematical models of CHT are substantiated; algorithms are implemented; structure and design are developed of hardware-software system based on specialized electronic controllers with supporting software. The system provides monitoring, control in time of all the necessary parameters of the gaseous medium - its composition, temperature, pressure, with the possibility of using up to four components. Conclusion. The results of experiments and industrial applications of CHT technologies using with APCS in several Russian industrial enterprises show high efficiency results in terms of increased operational properties - strength and durability of processed products (over 25 %), lower defect rates (up to 80 %), decreasing work load on the staff and processing time reduction. The total economic impact of automation by these advantages on certain enterprises reaches 30 % or more. Further development of technical tools in parallel with the embedding of feedback through operational monitoring of process parameters and improvement of mathematical models and control methods, promotes a wide variety of technologies and a significant increase in the quality of CHT results.