In batch processing operations, a critical aspect of the product changeover process involves the management of key equipment setpoints, ingredients, measurements and process controls that, when combined, make up a recipe. Recipes are also used to run test equipment to ensure the right test is run with the right parameters on a finished product before it gets to market.
The principal recipe management challenges faced during the changeover process when shifting from production of one product to another include:
- Frequency of changeover.
- Duration of downtime to make recipe changes.
- High count of parameter changes.
- User errors from inputting parameters.
- Numerous change controls for regulated industries.
These common challenges underscore why an automated recipe management solution can be extremely cost effective for storing, updating and deploying recipes to the plant floor. A recipe can be stored at many levels—from an individual test station all the way up to an entire plant floor being deployed at once. While the concept sounds amazing, attention to detail is crucial to ensure the longevity of the solution.
Where should recipes be stored?
When possible, recipe storage in a SQL relational database allows for better management and audit trail features. Here, multiple versions of a recipe can be maintained while only releasing the appropriate one(s) to the plant floor for the product being made at the time.
Maintaining all these versions in the same database allows for audit trail reports of what changed between versions. Version control and proper approval workflows to release a recipe to production should be used to ensure compatibility and accuracy of the product’s KPIs (key performance indicators) when the recipe is run.
SQL databases can also be integrated into AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning software to monitor performance trends.
For smaller systems, these recipes could even be stored in the PLC. You would lose the audit trail functions, but still remove the time-consuming manual entry process as well as the potential for human errors when inputting data.
Deployment and coding
Recipe deployment can be managed in a few ways. The recipes can be run one at a time on demand or used to run a single operation. Recipes can also run a procedure with multiple operations. Each SKU could run a different procedure or the same procedure with different parameters. This applies to both batch and discrete manufacturing.
This is why we recommend that recipes be written modularly to allow for deployment on similar equipment. Replicating a product line would double capacity while maintaining a single product recipe that is run on either line.
Benefits of this deployment and coding approach include:
- Reduced time to deploy and validate.
- Reduced quality and compliance issues.
- Creation of highly repeatable processes.
- The ability to quickly build new recipes for new products with a few small changes.
The needs for a recipe management solution will differ in scope from one facility to the next, but the overall goal is the same: To make a product the same way every time and ensure each one meets the same quality standards before shipping out.
Derek McCretton is engineering manager at NeoMatrix Inc., a certified member of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA). For more information about NeoMatrix, Inc., visit its profile on the Industrial Automation Exchange.
