TABLE OF CONTENTS One of the main objectives of batch process automation is to manufacture a batch in optimum (minimum) time and to maximize the capacity utilization of the batch manufacturing facility. Investments in batch process automation can be justified by the returns resulting from the improvements in recipe scheduling which are easy to quantify. Various planning and scheduling techniques employing fairly simple to very complex algorithms are used for optimization of batch manufacturing processes in the industry. These planning and scheduling techniques have been developed and used for specific applications, depending on suitability to a particular batch process or an industry. However, these techniques fall short for general use.
The main objective of batch tracking is to provide another view of operations organized by specific raw materials, and intermediate and finished products. This is an important capability as the problems that are not apparent in daily operating results can become visible when viewing the operation by product. To make product tracking possible, the transactions in each of the operational areas of receiving, production, inventory, transfers and shipments must be properly time-sequenced.
The batch tracking system provides an audit trail for each batch produced. Batch tracking is also useful in investigations of customer inquiries about a particular batch, catalyst evaluation and revising yields models. Data generally include the target range for each process/quality variable and the actual mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, variance, etc. Calculated variables such as yields and energy consumption,...
