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Two sophisticated production control systems installed at the Sony television tube manufacturing plant in Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, have achieved major improvements in production monitoring and control. Designed by the Sony industrial engineering department in close collaboration with the IMO systems design group, both production control systems utilize fully the programming versatility and easy interfacing of programmable controllers and networking software.

Automated process control is vital to the efficiency, safety and profitability of dozens of industries, thousands of companies. Food, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, petroleum, plastics and many more. Yet few non‐technical managers and even fewer process workers, other than production and process engineers, actually understand what it is and how it works. If they did know, many problems could be averted, unnecessary shutdowns avoided, risks to product quality eliminated (explanation). Industrial training tends to concentrate on job‐specific instruction and on key safety issues. A broader approach, including simplified understanding of how a plant works and is monitored, enables everybody to use common sense to recognise potential problems and avert actual downtime. So how do you train non‐engineers (or engineers of other disciplines) to understand process control? How do you tap the intelligence and experience of shopfloor staff to make the plant more efficient? This article explores training for process control, including the use of simulation and the design of training programmes, together with the benefits to be gained.

Explores a PC‐based multi‐function virtual test and measurement system for automated manufacturing lines. The system includes single and dual channel oscilloscopes, a 50MHz spectrum analyzer, a multifunctional digital voltmeter and a 20MHz digital frequency meter. Outlines the benefits of the system including the availability of high‐performance instruments anywhere there is a PC cost saving and space saving. It also has considerable potential training test and maintenance personnel.