“The product is an extension of the company’s existing CSense range that already allows users to develop and deploy real-time process solutions,’’ Crusader Systems MD Derick Moolman tells Engineering News.

The new product operates over and above the existing CSense range, which is a software platform that enables the development and deployment of real-time applications for supervisory process control, decision support, condition-based maintenance, and process diagnosis.

Global engineering companies, such as Outokumpu, make use of CSense technology, as well as vendor-independent CSense certified companies as Hatch.
A recent addition to a growing list of solution providers is Bateman, a large local engineering company. Crusader Systems has developed a family of CSense packaged solutions for providing process modelling, diagnosis and control in the process industries, including CSense Process+, CSense Furnace+, and an increasing number of applications developed by CSense Solution Providers.
CSense allows the user to build up a blueprint of the solution to be executed in an online fashion. This blueprint has blocks that contain the modelling and data processing functions. Functionality includes advanced data-driven modelling techniques such as neural networks and regression, as well as the ability to embed fundamental models in the blueprint, allowing for expert or fundamental control strategies.

At each step of the blueprint, CSense is able to check data quality and suitability before any processing is carried out. This ensures that estimations, decisions or control actions are made only when process information is reliable. The CSense blueprint is able to execute on subsecond cycles, and has the ability to handle time delays and the inclusion of historical data, such as lab analysis results, allowing consistent and accurate analysis of all process-events.

CSense enables users to rapidly see sense in the complexity of processes, after which real-time process solutions can be deployed,� says Moolman. He adds that the software systems allow for visual interface with many other software systems, such as Historian and supervisory control and data acquisition systems.
In addition the system accommodates visual displays, such as graphs, as well analysis of process data including highlighting the most important variables and causes for process deviations.

Crusader also launched a CSense Process+ range of software in June, which improves the control base layer, diagnosing problems in control loops including elements such as control valves. This product is used for condition-based maintenance and diagnosis of control loops in Process plants, targeting companies mainly in the process industries.

The CSense range has been used in a number of large-scale projects in the petrochemical minerals processing, pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical and food and beverage industries.

These projects range from advanced process control, decision support, predictive modelling, soft sensors and equipment health monitoring.

In addition, the CSense software has been exported to several countries in the past 28 months through Outokumpu, the company’s first global distribution channel.
“CSense is being used by large companies in a number of countries, including Europe, Canada, South America and Australia,’’ says Moolman.

“CSense sales are increasing fast with volumes increasing by 100% a year�.
“In addition, we see the local market as important, with the local sales force increasing in order to cope with the demand,’’ says Moolman.

He adds that Australian company Hatch is also currently involved with a number of CSense projects in Canada and South Africa, such as using CSense for furnace diagnostics systems.

Crusader has 15 people involved directly in research and development, responsible for software development.

“Our biggest challenge is to penetrate the market by building the right International partnerships, and to remain a market-driven company,� says Moolman.

Crusader has also concluded a deal with equity partner Mark Shuttleworth through his company HDB Venture Capital, earlier this year. The purpose of this deal is to allow Crusader to expand more aggressively internationally. The company has offices in Pretoria and Stellenbosch.