Which domestic DCS manufacturers are good?
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Which one has a promising future, and what is the gap compared to foreign countries?
In China, the notable companies are Zhejiang University Zhongkong and LISI; each has its own advantages and disadvantages. What’s certain is that large petrochemical projects use foreign systems, such as those from Honeywell and Yokogawa. Domestic systems are generally used in petrochemical industries for water treatment, tank areas, and utility systems, but they are also quite commonly used in smaller chemical plants. In most cases, it’s not that the domestic systems are inadequate; rather, it’s the process packages and budgets for large projects that determine everything. With enough money, why wouldn’t one choose more mature and reliable solutions?
Zhejiang Zhongkong’s DCS systems have been used in numerous large-scale petrochemical projects carried out by central state-owned enterprises such as CNPC and Sinopec, as well as local state-owned enterprises like Shaanxi Coal, over the past few years; these systems have proven to be highly effective. Domestic DCS systems have indeed seen strong development, and indeed, the PDH and PP units in the last project I worked on utilized Zhejiang Zhongkong’s DCS systems
Both Zhejiang University Zhongkong and HaliTech are excellent; they differ in terms of application scenarios, each having its own advantages, so there is no such thing as a better or worse option. As for the differences compared to foreign countries, they are already quite close; in fact, there is one aspect in which it is superior to foreign countries, and that is the service – it is not only fast (within 24 hours) but also inexpensive. Compared to the 100 euros per hour charged abroad, where accommodation and meals are also included, this option is much cheaper.
In the chemical industry, central control seems to have more prospects. Especially for SFC’s sequential control, the panel has already been well designed. HollySys’ custom function blocks are powerful and flexible, but the panels created with SFC are not good.
Zhejiang University Zhongkong, HollySys. It is widely used in Zhongkong Petrochemical and in Hilscher’s power systems. The normal control and interlocking functions of the central control system work fine, as does the sequential control. The functions of some modules, as well as their batch control capabilities, are still somewhat inferior to those of international brands, so they are rarely used.
Zhejiang University Zhongkong and HaliTech – in my opinion, Zhongkong is superior in terms of software programs, while HaliTech has an advantage in hardware and related components. Zhongkong is currently used more in industries such as petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, whereas HaliTech is more common in sectors like thermal power and aviation. Compared to systems from companies such as Siemens and Honeywell, there is a noticeable gap in batch control capabilities, especially in pharmaceutical projects; I’ve observed this clearly in my previous work. In China, the use of domestic control systems has long been supported, and both of these companies are highly competitive, offering excellent after-sales service
Domestic systems offer the best cost-performance ratio.