Consultant

Jacques Smuts is a process control specialist with over three decades of experience in control loop optimization, tuning, faultfinding, and performance improvement.

He began his career in the power industry in 1990 after graduating as a mechanical engineer from the University of Johannesburg. He initially worked on the commissioning of six 686 MW coal-fired power plant units, and later joined the process control and optimization team. While working full-time, he completed his master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, focusing on process control. During this time, he also served as a part-time senior instructor for IDC Technologies, delivering process control workshops in South Africa, Canada, and England.

In 1997, Jacques co-founded ControlServe Ltd. in Cambridge, Canada, where he provided control loop optimization and training services. During this period, he developed the TuneWizard control loop diagnostics and tuning software, which became one of the top tuning tools in industry.

In 2001, he relocated to the United States when PAS (now Hexagon) acquired TuneWizard. At PAS, he led the process control business unit and developed the ControlWizard control loop performance assessment software, which became a leading product in its class. He later served as Vice President of Technology and Chief Technical Officer.

In 2009, Jacques founded OptiControls in Houston, Texas, providing process control consulting and training services to clients in the United States and internationally. He regularly publishes technical articles, speaks at industry conferences, and authors practical resources for control engineers and technicians, including the book Process Control for Practitioners. He also developed a control loop simulation software application used for training, tuning, and diagnostics.

Jacques has dedicated his career to improving process control through services, training, and software. He is a leading authority on process control, controller tuning, troubleshooting, and control loop performance monitoring. His process experience spans power generation, refining, chemicals, oil and gas, food and beverage, pulp and paper, steel, and mining industries. Jacques is a senior member of ISA and a licensed Professional Engineer.

Jacques’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsmuts/