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Functional Tips & Tricks

Tips and tricks for using the functionalities to get the best results

  • 14 Topics
  • 3 Replies
14 Topics
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Employee
fvandaelEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
TrendMiner Tag Builder Data Import

Ever wanted to include data from external sources in your TrendMiner analysis?The Tag Builder Data Import functionality allows you to do just that! This post will equip you with some helpful tips and tricks to ensure a smooth data import experience.Getting StartedSupported File Format: Only CSV (comma-separated values) files are supported for data import. Make sure your data is formatted correctly before proceeding. File Requirements: File Extension: Ensure your file has the proper .csv extension. Encoding: Use UTF-8 encoding for your CSV file. File Size: The maximum file size supported is 45 MB. Data FormattingFirst Row: List the tag names you want to appear in TrendMiner in this row (Column 2 onwards). These names must be unique. Second Row: Descriptions for each tag can be added in this row, but are optional (Column 2 onwards). Third Row: Specify the units of measurement for each tag in this row, but are optional (Column 2 onwards). Fourth Row: Define the tag type (analog, discret

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F
Employee
1 month ago
Tamia
Employee
TamiaEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
Context Items Types – What are your options and how can you make more?

Background So, you've found yourself wanting to historicize something you've observed in TrendHub. As the process engineer for the past two years, you've noticed a clear pattern between unit swings and recurring filter change on a feed pump. Now, you need to compile these findings into a list and annotate them on the trends. That is the only way you can convince everyone else that this is indeed the root cause of the swings and not just some random incident. Although you've briefly heard of ContextHub, once you reach this screen, you find yourself wondering, "What is a component, and what do you mean by Type???"  Component and Type are two parameters that must be assigned to create a context item, or a block of information linked to a data point or a period of data associated with an event identified in your datasets. The Component links your observation to a particular tag, while the Type assigns a category that can later be used as a filter in ContextHub.  Types There are several pre

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Tamia
Employee
1 month ago
Natasha Neese
Employee
Natasha NeeseEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
Combining AND and OR Conditions for a Value-Based Search in TrendMiner

 In industrial data analysis, it is often necessary to formulate complex conditions to achieve precise search results. However, it is not possible by default to combine AND and OR conditions within a value-based search in TrendMiner. TrendMiner allows you to combine multiple conditions in a value-based search, but you can only combine all conditions with either AND or all with OR—not both simultaneously. Here, I will show you how to effectively combine AND and OR conditions in a value-based search.Examples of combining AND and OR conditionsA typical example would be searching for production data where multiple products (e.g., ALPHA and BETA) are analyzed under specific temperature conditions. Other examples include identifying production phases where certain machines are either in "Standby" or "Maintenance" mode, but only if energy consumption is below a defined threshold. Another example could be analyzing phases where specific chemicals are either in a "Mixing" or "Reaction" state, b

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Natasha Neese
Employee
1 month ago
Pablo
Employee
PabloEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
Duration of an event as a tag

Sometimes, for better visualization and monitoring, it is helpful to represent the durations of certain important events in the plant within a variable. This is possible in TrendMiner by following a couple of steps.First, it is necessary to create a slope tag, from 0 to 1, that connects the start and end points of the event.This can be done with a conditional formula and time changes. For example, an event from the moment a batch starts until the “Phase 3” starts: It is important that the obtained variable consists of constant slopes from 0 to 1 and from 1 to 0. We do not want it to remain constant at values of 0 or 1 for long periods, as this could affect the second step of the workaround. This is why time shifts are used, indicating only the exact moment of start and end.Secondly, we need to transform the slope tag into another variable that indicates the duration of each slope. This is done with the formula 'if((a-b)>0,1/(a-b)/60,,0)' following the explanation provided below (to

580
Pablo
Employee
2 months ago
K
Employee
KevinEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
Quickly conduct bivariate analysis

BackgroundAs a process engineer, understanding the relationship between two variables is crucial and often necessary. For example, how does tower pressure impact overhead rates? How does temperature affect conversion? Operations are constantly making adjustments, and process engineers need to grasp the impact of various levers or handles on final product specifications, operating envelopes, and process safety. TrendMiner enables users to quickly analyze relationships between tags or variables, both visually and quantitatively.Scatterplot of natural gas usage vs carbon emissions.Steps to Analyze Relationships in TrendMiner:Step 1: Add the tags you are interested in analyzing to the active tag list for bivariate relationships.Step 2: Switch to the Scatterplot view.Change view from “Trend” to “Scatter”.Step 3: Adjust the time period to include relevant data for your analysis.Step 4: Evaluate the relationship. Use the scatterplot to qualitatively assess the relationship between the variabl

311
Jef Vanlaer
Community Manager
2 months ago
Pelinsu
Community Manager
PelinsuCommunity Manager
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
[Recording] New Release Webinar: TrendMiner 2024.R2.0

Our recent release webinar recording is now available. You can watch it to see detailed explanations and demos of the latest TrendMiner functionalities.  We encourage you to visit this community post and vote for your favorite functionality or share your feedback in the comments.

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Pelinsu
Community Manager
2 months ago
F
Employee
fvandaelEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
How to use the new Multi-layer scatterplot

In our latest release, 2024R2, we’ve enhanced the Scatterplot display in TrendHub to visualize all layers of a TrendHub view, not just the base layer. This new feature enables you to compare relationships between different tags across multiple layers, making it a powerful tool for troubleshooting, root cause analysis, performance grading, and more. In this article, we'll walk you through how to use this new feature to its full potential.Step 1: Adding Different LayersThere are several ways to add layers in TrendMiner. In our example, we used value-based searches to identify high- and low-quality batches and added the three highest quality and three lowest quality batches as layers.Overview of all the layersStep 2: Switching to Scatterplot ViewBy changing the plot visualization to a scatterplot, you’ll immediately see the option to create a multi-layer scatterplot.Scatterplot visualization with multi-layer enabledStep 3: Customizing Your LayersClicking the “Customize Layers” button open

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F
Employee
2 months ago
Tamia
Employee
TamiaEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
Tips for making visually appealing TrendHub views

Creating clear and effective graphs is a vital skill for anyone involved in data presentation. In process engineering, the ability to visually convey complex information can significantly enhance the impact of your work. However, not all graphs are created equal. Poorly designed graphs can mislead, confuse, and obscure the very data they aim to highlight. This functional tip outlines essential best practices for making enhanced TrendHub views that are both informative and visually engaging. By following these guidelines, you can ensure your graphs not only accurately represent your data but also resonate with your audience, facilitating better understanding and decision-making. Keep It Simple: Avoid clutter by minimizing gridlines unless they are necessary.     Try to avoid displaying excessive context items unless they are needed to emphasize a reoccurring issue.   Consider whether all data actually needs to be displayed in the focus chart, or if keeping longer-range data i

432
Jef Vanlaer
Community Manager
2 months ago
Natasha Neese
Employee
Natasha NeeseEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
Analyzing short events in TrendMiner

 In industrial data analysis, precisely examining short events is crucial for optimizing processes and preventing disturbances. Short events, which are shorter than the index resolution, present a unique challenge as they can easily be overlooked. Here, I will show you how short events can still be analyzed in TrendMiner using a value-based search.Examples of short eventsExamples of short events include sudden pressure spikes in pipeline systems, which may indicate valve malfunctions or blockages, temporary temperature fluctuations in reactors, which can point to unexpected chemical reactions, and brief electrical spikes in systems, which may signal short circuits or overloads. Analyzing these events accurately allows for taking preventive measures and improving process stability and system safety. Background on indexing in TrendMinerTrendMiner uses indexing to enable fast, interactive visualization and analysis of time-series data. When a tag is accessed for the first time, it undergo

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Natasha Neese
Employee
2 months ago
Pablo
Employee
PabloEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
Multi-Recipe reports with the value based search "constant" condition

Often, we want to analyze or report on key KPIs, such as consumption, production, average temperatures, or maximum values of critical variables. However, these data need to be analyzed separately based on the recipe they correspond to.In TrendMiner, it is possible to unify all workflows so that reports for multiple recipes can be obtained with a single process. This is due to the ability to include the “constant” condition in the Value Based Search and to add string variable calculations. Here’s how it is done:Prepare the View: Load the tag indicating the recipe name and the rest of the necessary tags to create the report. Perform the Search: Go to the search menu and start a value-based search. The condition will be: Recipe name tag CONSTANT. The results obtained will correspond to the time period indicated in the context chart. Add Calculations to the Search Results: String Variables Calculation: Start value of the recipe name. This calculation will indicate which recipe each of t

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Pablo
Employee
3 months ago
L
Employee
lnitzschkeEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
Optimizing Continuous Processes with Event Analytics: Splitting Data into Manageable Hourly Intervals

Background:TrendMiner's "Event Analytics" is typically used for batch processes, but it can also optimize continuous processes. By breaking down the data into manageable hourly intervals, this approach provides detailed monitoring and identifies optimal conditions for enhanced efficiency and productivity.Steps: Preparation: Add the most important process parameters. Include the pre-installed TM_day_ tag. Data Splitting: Use the value-based search feature to segment data. Set the condition to TM_day_ constant. Ensure a minimum duration of 59 minutes. Adding Calculations: Add calculations on the search result. Example calculations: Average Temperature, Integral Cooling Water, Minimum Pressure. Event Analytics: Use the 1-hour aggregated data within Event Analytics. Analyze the data using histograms or parallel coordinate plots to visualize and identify optimal process conditions. Picture 1: This parallel coordinate plot from TrendMiner’s Event Analytics shows the relationship b

440
L
Employee
3 months ago
K
Employee
KevinEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
Identifying changes of state using constant in Value Based Search

BackgroundOften times, we find ourselves wanting to know when a certain tag changes state. For example, if we have a batch process, I’d like to know when I transition from one phase to another in the process. Or for a multi-product line, I would like to know when we switch from manufacturing product A to product B. Not only would we like to know when these state changes occur, but also it would be useful to analyze the data per state or segment. Consider the batch process example again - it would be nice to know the duration of each phase. Or even, what is the maximum temperature at each phase of the batch process?In TrendMiner, we can quickly answer these questions by conducting a constant Value Based Search (VBS). When selecting constant in a VBS, we ask TrendMiner to identify every change of state or level. I say level too because constant VBS can apply to analog tags in addition to string and discrete tags. Below I will detail the steps to create a constant VBS. Step 1 - Create the

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K
Employee
3 months ago
F
Employee
fvandaelEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
How to prevent spam from your monitors!

We all love the monitor feature in TrendMiner, however sometimes it can also be annoying when the monitor is triggered too many times and creates an email spam. In this article we will discuss how you can prevent an endless stream of TrendMiner monitor alert (emails) and just get an alert when a real event occurs.1. Use search results as indication for number of alertsA TrendMiner search is often the backbone of a monitor and thus we can use the number of search results as indication to the amount of monitor alerts we will get within the search period. For example, if we perform a search with a context bar period of 6 months and get 15 results, then we know that when we apply a monitor with this search we will get 15 monitor alerts within 6 months.2. Finetune your value based searchWhen you use a value based search the first thing you can tune to optimize your monitor is the minimal duration setting of your value base. In this example we want to know for when our flow out of our pump i

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F
Employee
4 months ago
Thomas
Employee
ThomasEmployee
published in Functional Tips & Tricks
Using the least used features to your advantage!

In this article, we present 4 of our least used but valuable features which you can use to your advantage. We also show some concrete examples. 1 - Operating Area Search Empowers users to intuitively identify optimal and suboptimal operating conditions through a visual interface.  Helps users detect process irregularities early by analyzing correlations between parameters.  Provides preventive maintenance warnings using the operating area search in a combination with monitors.  In the example shown below, the power a conveyor belt is consuming is plotted versus the specific power consumption, which takes into account the mass the conveyor belt is transporting. The scatter plot itself shows that there is an optimal point of operation looking only at energy consumption. Now, this area is selected as area of good operation and is used in the operating area search to look for periods when this correlation is changing, indicating a change in the operating conditions of the belt which me

620
Thomas
Employee
6 months ago
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