Rule-based systems in the process industry

Rule-based systems are unquestionably offering new possibilities for radical innovations in the process industry in an effort to solve the very real and pressing needs of manufacturing which conventional analytical methods have failed to resolve. This paper outlines the use of Rule-based Systems (RBS) as they apply to the Process Industry. Special emphasis is given to applications in the cement industry, an industry which is at the forefront of developments in this field. Rule-based Process Control offers a viable solution to the control large-scale multivariable vague processes commonly found in the industrial environment. A selected bibliography of pertinent publications is included for further reference.