Production Equipment Model in Batch Procedure
Representing the physical model in Batch Procedure, the Process Cell and Unit extends the MES Production Equipment Model.
- Process Cell: Designed to represent all of the physical equipment required for production. See more information below.
- Unit: Connects to the physical equipment and control module(s) within a controller. See more information below.
Process Cell and Unit objects are added in the MES Equipment Manager.
What is a Process Cell?
A Process Cell represents a production line of any type of manufacturing:
- Continuous Process
- Converting Line
- Discrete Manufacturing
- Packaging Line
ISA-88 Definition: A process cell contains all the units, equipment modules, and control modules required to make one or more batches/lots.
For settings information, see Process Cell | Batch Procedure
What is a Unit?
Equipment Unit
A Unit represents a piece of equipment and its control modules that are used in a major processing activity.
During batch execution-time, batch-controls execute on a single Unit. Each Unit is tied to a Unit Procedure by its phase unit-class structure. Unit Procedures are elements within Batch Master Recipe.
Expand for Batch Recipe | Glossary
Batch Recipe
Use the Batch Recipe Editor or scripting to build out Batch Master Recipes.
A Batch Master Recipe is essentially a workflow design-tool for processing and manufacturing.
Batch Recipe features within the Sepasoft Batch Procedure module.
Each unit usually performs one operation within production that could include multiple stages. A Unit can have one or more Phases assigned to it .
A Unit may:
- perform a single function machine
- combine a multifunctional machine operation within a single machine frame and control system.
- separate equipment functionality, such as:
A piece of equipment performs separate jobs: Job X and Job Y
Example:
Job X and Job Y are in the same Recipe
Job X and Job Y are in separate Recipes
Job X and Job Y have overlapping processing time
- You can create a Unit for each job so that there is Job X Unit and Job Y Unit.
For settings information, see Unit | Batch Procedure
Learn about the Production Equipment Model within an MES framework: Production Equipment Model Overview.
Data Model in Batch Procedure
MES Tag Provider
When Phases are added to Units in the batch system, Batch Engine creates Batch Phases under the Unit in Ignition Tag Browser. Each Phase has parameters that are used to transfer data values back and forth between the Unit and the equipment module. The values going from the Unit to the equipment PLC-control component are called Output Parameters. The values coming in from the PLC-control component are called Input Parameters.
Ignition UDT members are automatically created for each parameter for all phases defined for each Unit. You can map these tags to equipment module tags within a controller.
Expand for parameter descriptions.
Batch Phase Parameters map to OPC devices or Ignition Tags as defined in standard PLI (Phase Logic Interface).When Phases are added to Units in the batch system, Batch Engine creates Batch Phases under the Unit in Ignition Tag Browser. Each Phase has parameters that are used to transfer data values back and forth between the Unit and the equipment module. The values going from the Unit to the equipment PLC-control component are called Output Parameters. The values coming in from the PLC-control component are called Input Parameters.
The batch system has a set of pre-defined parameters such as COMMAND and STATUS, but also allows user-defined parameters that you can configure for values such as Add Amount and Amount Added.
Phase Manager > Phase Edit > set Exposed to True.
| Parameter Name | | Data Type |
|
|---|
| Begin_Date_Time | Other | Date | Tag Type property is configurable. Set to Memory by default to create a tag in the Ignition tag browser and saves to the cache and history. |
| Command | Command-State | String | Tag Type property is configurable. Value Source is driven by Batch Engine or Manually. See Equipment PLC Commands and States and Batch Command-State Sequence for more information. |
| Command_Number | Command-State | Integer | Tag Type property is configurable. Value source is from execution. Values are not saved. Use Command_Number to write values. The system changes the value of the Command parameter based on the value of Command_Number. See Equipment PLC Commands and States and Batch Command-State Sequence for more information. |
| Complete | State-Transition Handling | Boolean | Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to cache and history. Used in the handshake between phases, see Sync Flags. |
| Disable_Complete | State-Transition Handling | Boolean | True/False | When set to True the equipment does not stop when the step is complete and additional adjustments to parameter values can occur for subsequent instances of the same equipment phase. When the Disable Complete parameter is set to False, the step waits for the State phase parameter to be set to Complete before the step completes. Related Topic: Using a Phase in Multiple Steps. |
| Duration | Other | Long | Tag Type property is configurable. Saves last to history. Time in seconds the phase was active (endDateTime - beginDateTime) |
| End_Date_Time | Other | Date | Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to the cache and history. |
| Execute_Count | Other | Long | Increments each time the phase is run. Commonly used to iterate through a process. Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to the cache and history. |
| Handshake_Ack | State-Transition Handling | Integer | Tag Type property is configurable. Value source is from execution. Values are not saved. |
| Handshake_Valid | State-Transition Handling | Boolean | Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to History. |
| Handshake_Value | State-Transition Handling | Integer | Tag Type property is configurable. Values are not saved. PLC detects whether the batch engine is responding using this parameter. If not, then batch engine sets the Command the phase is set to Held. See Production Module Restart for an explanation of batch Commands and States. |
| Message | Other | String | Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to the cache and history. - For equipment phases, when a message is written to the Message parameter, that message is recorded in the vertical tables.
- For other phases, exceptions can be captured and exposed in this parameter.
- The Set Parameter phase can be used to write to another phase's Message parameter.
- For the script phase, the parameter can be set via the return parameters.
When the Message parameter on the Equipment Phase is set to a value, it is recorded and no other functions are done. It can be set in the PLC, from script function, or using the Set Parameter phase. |
| Message_Ack_By | Other | String | Who acknowledged the message by Ignition user roles. |
| Message_Ack_Confirm | Other | Boolean | Confirmation flag that the message was acknowledged. |
| Message_Ack_Date_Time | Other | Date | Time stamp of when the message was acknowledged. |
| Message_Date_Time | Other | Date | Date stamp of message display |
| Message_Requires_Ack | Other | Boolean | True/False to require the acknowledgement of a message. |
| Mode | State-Transition Handling | String | Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to the cache and history. Auto: The elements in a Batch Recipe named Transitions end automatically when the condition is True, which allows the next phase to start. Semi Auto: Enforces that the recipe move through each Transition; You cannot force execute phases out of order. Manual: You can force execute these phases: e-Signature, Equipment Phase, Script, Set Parameter, User Message, Value Prompt. For more information, see Execution in Manual Mode and Force Complete. |
| Phase_Exception | Other |
| Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to History. |
| Propagate_Hold_To_Parent | State-Transition Handling | Boolean | When a Phase state changes to HELD, the HELD state is propagated to the Unit Procedure and Operation. If this parameter is set to True, then the HELD state is passed up to the parent level. Keep in mind that when you restart the unit procedure and operation, the batch is not restarted. Restart the batch from Batch Controller or Batch Monitor. |
| State | Command-State | String | Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to the cache and history. Use State_Number to write values. The system changes the value of the State parameter based on the value of State_Number. See Equipment PLC Commands and States and Batch Command-State Sequence for more information. |
| State_Number | Command-State | Integer | |
| State_Transition_Handling | State-Transition Handling | Enum | Auto/PLI Auto: The batch engine drives the states. PLI: When set to PLI, the PLC drives the state. When a batch completes, Batch Engine sends a RESET command and waits for the input value from the PLC. Then, the batch is back to IDLE. See State Handling Parameters for more information. |
| Step_Name | Command-State | String | Tag Type property is configurable. Value changes are not saved. |
| Step_Sequence | Command-State | Integer | Tag Type property is configurable. Value changes are not saved. |
| Unit_Path | Other | String | Every phase has this parameter. The value is the unit path including its name where the phase is currently running within the Equipment Model. |
Output Parameters
The Batch Engine writes values to the tags when a phase becomes active. While the phase is active, parameter-value changes are written to the tags immediately.
The Batch Engine subscribes to input parameters when a phase becomes active. While the phase is active, parameter-value changes are updated immediately.
Phase Counter
Every phase includes the Execute_Count parameter. This parameter increments each time the phase become active.
Expand to learn how to bind phase parameters to equipment
When you create a phase, you can select to expose the phase to the tag engine. Exposing a phase to the tag engine creates User-Defined Tag (UDT) members. These tags are displayed in the Ignition Tag Browser. The tag values between an Ignition Gateway device connection and UDT members are populated in real-time.
The type (brand and model) of a device dictates the format of the phase names.
Configuring OPC Item Paths
You can globally connect equipment phases to equipment devices (PLC mapping) by using parameterizing OPC Item Paths.
Required for this step:
- Phases and Unit Classes are assigned to equipment units.
- Phase parameter property is set to OPC
In Phase Manager:
- Verify that the phase parameter that you want to connect has the Value Source set to OPC.
In Ignition Designer:
- In Designer, navigate to Tag Browser.
- Select MES from the dropdown list. Then navigate to the UDT Definitions tab.
Notice the phases that you created are listed under UDT Definitions.
A parameter property Value Source is set to OPC, below. phase has an OPC Item Path that accessed from the Tag Browser.
The steps below show you how to set the OPC Item Path globally for all phases with OPC Tags with the same name that maps to any number of equipment units by substituting the levels in the path with parameters: Parameterized OPC Item Paths.
- Navigate to Value > OPC Item Path.
- Click Link > Edit.
On the right, click the curly brackets and follow the path below for substitution:
Device/{Unit}/{InstanceName}/{TagName}
- Click Commit and OK .
- Save project.
Batch Objects and Scripting Functions
For scripting functions and objects, navigate to:
