Distributed Process Control System for an Iron Ore Processing Plant

Reserve Mining Company´s (Silver Bay,MN) distributed process control system is described. Primary emphasis is on how the system has evolved since the plant startup in July 1980, following completion of Reserve´s on-land tailings disposal and quality improvement programs. Control concept changes and startup problems are discussed. Hindsight is utilized to determine areas of underdesign and overdesign. the reaction of plant operators to the system is examined. System hardware maintenance and programming support manpower requirements are also discussed.