A distributed control system (DCS) is a decentralized or dynamic system used in industrial automation and safety systems. It moves control of every point in a manufacturing system to that section, allowing for individual component systems to be controlled without affecting the entire system. This system limits collateral damage and allows for routine maintenance of equipment without shutting down the entire line.
The phrase distributed control system (DCS) usually refers to a type of manufacturing system in which the control of the various divisions is distributed, rather than centralized in one location. The term can also be used more generally to refer to any decentralized or dynamic system. The distributed control system is often used in industrial automation and safety systems because individual component systems can be controlled without affecting the entire system.
In its simplest form, a distributed control system moves control of every point in a manufacturing system to that section. For example, if an industrial security system protects four rooms using automated sprinklers and fire doors, the system will take over if one room is compromised. When the fire alarm is triggered, the fire doors in the affected room close and the sprinkler system begins to operate. In a distributed control system, this response is limited to only those rooms where a threat actually exists. Had the security system been controlled centrally, the fire response would have occurred in all four rooms, rather than isolating the effort to a single room.
While the idea of a centrally controlled system offering simultaneous protection to an entire building may seem like a good idea, a closer inspection may reveal some of the benefits that a distributed control system can offer. In the scenario provided, all four rooms of the building would have been flooded with water due to the activation of the sprinkler system. If one of these rooms held all of the company’s computer networking equipment, one housed products, a third housed production, and a fourth housed raw materials, all of these materials would be destroyed. Using a distributed control system, fire alarm response could have been directed right to the room where the fire occurred, limiting collateral damage.
The distributed control system can also be used to manage the manufacturing processes of various segments of an operation. Using this system, a machine failure in one section of an assembly process does not necessarily shut down the entire line. When each section is controlled independently, the other stations can continue to work while the affected machine is being repaired. This ability to bypass sections makes the distributed control system a very valuable asset in manufacturing facilities that require routine maintenance of equipment.
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