Control Station Selects Braskem Neal Plant as PID Performance Leader

[Erkan Teskancan]

Braskem's Neal Plant was honored with the "Top Performing Plant" award by Control Station for its outstanding achievement in control loop performance. This award recognizes world-class PID control loop effectiveness, as measured by the Overall Controller Effectiveness (OCE) metric.

### A New Standard in Industry Performance Measurement

In the 2025 calendar year, the Neal Plant achieved the highest average control loop performance benchmark among more than 150 manufacturing facilities. The West Virginia plant proactively monitored and analyzed its PID control loops, ensuring effective controller utilization, minimizing variability, and achieving sustainable operational excellence.

Dennis Nash, President of Control Station, stated that this achievement demonstrates what organizations can accomplish when they view their control infrastructure as a strategic asset. He emphasized that continuous efforts to monitor and improve control loop effectiveness consistently lead to tangible gains in stability, productivity, and efficiency.

### Technical Evaluation and the OCE Metric

The award is based on a year-long data analysis of monthly OCE scores collected using Control Station’s PlantESP Loop Performance Monitoring solution. OCE is a standard that holistically measures the availability, performance, and quality factors of a PID loop, assessing controller health through an analogy to equipment effectiveness.

The calculation of OCE with normalized values allows for comparisons between different types of loops and the collective evaluation of performance at the loop, unit, plant, and even enterprise levels. As a result, OCE has begun to be accepted as the standard criterion for control performance in process industries.

### Key Success Factors for Braskem Neal Plant

• Consistent application of best practices in loop tuning
• Performance monitoring and proactive maintenance programs
• Increased process stability through advanced analytics and standardized workflows
• Reduced operator intervention
• Tangible improvements in operational reliability with increased production capacity and cost-effectiveness

Dr. Bob Rice, Vice President of Engineering at Control Station, stated that world-class control success requires the right technology and a culture of continuous improvement, and that Braskem's Neal Plant demonstrated leadership in both areas.

### About Control Station

Control Station provides software-based solutions to increase manufacturing efficiency and capacity. PlantESP is recognized as an industry leader in identifying control loop issues, while LOOP-PRO products are among the leading solutions for PID controller tuning. The company serves leading manufacturers worldwide directly and through its distributor network.