Recipe for success
FAQs
How Empirio Batch works?
Empirio Batch solution provides a Web server providing required APIs to access the database, PLC live data and serves also the front-end application (Empirio Client).
Empirio Client is a Web client that can be launched from a standard web browser (like Google chrome) with no installation needed on client compouter. Empirio Client provides all you need for recipe, report and work order management.
The Empirio PLC engine comprises a few "firmware" functions and data blocks, which are integrated to a PLC program together with your (customer) automation code. These firmware functions provide the needed functionality to properly execute the downloaded recipe, that is, to run the phases (programmed by you for your the specific process equipment) in a sequence as recipe requires. The communication between your phases and Empirio Firmware functions is realized via standard PLI (Phase Logic Interface) as set forth by ISA S88.01 standard.
Which PLC's are supported?
Above mentioned Empirio PLC Firmware functions have to be programmed using the specific PLC programming language.
Currently, we support Siemens Simatic S7 TIA 1500 series PLCs.
Other PLC series (like Allen-Bradley Control Logix) are pending.
What are minimal PC HDW requirements?
In a minimal configuration (e.g. 5 process units, 5 clients) Empirio Web server can be installed on a single Windows 10 machine, typically SCADA server hosting also SCADA SW. No additional PC HDW needed in this case.
Empirio Web server is developed with a microservices design pattern, uses subscription-based communication, which makes it lightweight and scalable to potentially support also much larger applications.
What are Empirio Batch features?
Empirio Batch provides features standard for batch systems like the following:
Class based recipes
Recipes are created for an equipment class (representing equipment "type") like reactor, mixing vessel, holding vessel, .... Class recipe can then be executed on any specific equipment instance (Eg. R01, R02, ...), which drastically reduces number of recipes.
Parameter delegation
To provide a reusable recipe (e.g. an Operation) some of the phase parameters need to be "extracted" to become Operation parameters. We call this mechanism "Delegation" since responsibility for providing a parameter value is delegated to a higher-level recipe.
Delegation can be 1:1 or many: 1 and can also be chained further up the recipe levels.
This provides a lot of flexibility and decreases number of "formula" parameters.
Just-in-time formula entry
Any recipe in the library can be separately executed (e.g. executing a single Operation). Since some parameters may be delegated outside operation, an HMI is provided to enter these "formula" values just before execution.
This feature boosts recipe testing procedures.
Configurable trip conditions
Trip conditions govern when the recipe commences from current to next step. A library of standard trip condition is available which allows monitoring of any field analog or digital sensor , any phase state, weigh scale or flowmeter and some others like time measurement.
Recipe branch, loop
Recipe branch means that recipe may execute in different path depending on the outcome of actual process condition (e.g. Case pH is OK => continue, Case Else execute pH correction).
Recipe modularity
Higher-level recipe is built from previously built lower-level recipe.
Operations are built from phases.
Unit procedures are build from Operations.
Procedure is build from Unit procedures.
Trip condition actual values
Typically, a recipe execution is waiting for a trip condition to become true, before commencing further. This is in our opinion the most interesting part for the supervising operator. Empirio Batch provides an intuitive HMI where all trip conditions of active transition are listed with their nominal and actual values.
Empirio Batch additionally provides unique innovative features :
UML Nested state chart recipe notation
UML State charts are known in computer science, however, according to our knowledge, Empirio Batch is the first solution using them as recipe notation.
UML nested chart with its states and nested substates is a very clean and natural way of presenting complex simultaneous /sequential flows.
It enables easy "select and add" user interface avoiding cumbersome graphical elements and manual connectors linking.
Branch jump target delegation
When recipe can branch to two (or more) different paths based on actual process condition, we have to define a "jump target" for each branch (e.g. a step in which a recipe should continue for this branch). This step may even not be a part of our current recipe. For example, "CIP last rinse" operation checks the finall conductivity of rinse water. Based on a result a recipe can branch to two branches (conductivity OK or NOT OK). However, in case of NOT OK, recipe has to perform a jump back in a higher-level Unit procedure recipe, to again prepare a new batch of rinse water.
This situation is handled with a "jump target" delegation, where a jump target is delegated and set at a higher recipe level.
Entry/Exit actions
A list of standard actions is provided to be scheduled at recipe state entry or exit (e.g. when recipe starts a new step or finishes the current step). Actions like Weight Scale tare, Flowmeter reset, Clean status set to Clean, read a current process value to a batch report can be easily accomplished this way.
User interaction
An "Operator confirmation" trip condition is provided. This enables to configure a custom text operator message at the specific points in the recipe. An operator has to confirm this message (with E-signature) to comence the recipe in run-time.
This enables to integrate work instructions for operators, like "Add ingredient ABC manually and confirm".
Batch report configuration
A recipe is used also for customizing batch report content. In addition to operation execution times and recipe/report parameters, any trip condition or entry/exit action actual process value at transition time can be configured to be read and shown on batch report.
This allows focused report content, without meaningless spam report values often present with machine generated reports.
Friendly parameter interface
Parameters are the basis of a recipe. We provide a friendly user interface for parameter manipulation with customizable parameter labels, engineering unit, parameter limits and custom editors for each type of data (time, number, enumeration, text).