A computer-implemented method to control technical equipment that performs a production batch-run of a production process, the technical equipment providing data in a form of time-series from a set of data sources, the data sources being related to the technical equipment, includes: accessing a reference time-series with data from a previously performed batch-run of the production process, the reference time-series being related to a parameter for the technical equipment; and while the technical equipment performs the production batch-run: receiving a production time-series with data, identifying a sub-series of the reference time-series, and comparing the received time-series and the sub-series of the reference time-series, to provide an indication of similarity or non-similarity, in case of similarity, controlling the technical equipment during a continuation of the production batch-run, by using the parameter as control parameter.

A computer-implemented method for controlling and/or monitoring a production plant (110) is proposed. The production plant (110) comprises at least one process chain (112) comprising at least one batch process (114). The method comprises the following steps: a) at least one step of determining of input data (132), wherein the input data comprises at least one quality criterion and production plant layout data, wherein the step comprises retrieving the production plant layout data and receiving information relating to the quality criterion via at least one communication interface (158); b) at least one prediction step (134), wherein in the prediction step operating conditions for operating the production plant (110) are determined by applying at least one trained model (136) on the input data, wherein the trained model (136) is at least partially data-driven by being trained on sensor data from historical production runs; c) at least one control and/or monitoring step (140), wherein the operating conditions are provided.

A system for production of liquid food (P) comprises a food processing arrangement (2) and a computer device (3), e.g. a PLC. The computer device (3) sequentially executes a control program (5A) to control the food processing arrangement (2) to perform processing steps for producing the liquid food (P) from one or more ingredients in accordance with a predefined recipe. The program comprises command instructions that each allocates a respective processing step to a predefined control command among a predefined set. To enable parallelism, despite the sequential execution by the computer device (3), the set of control commands comprises a start command which is associated, by the computer device (3), with an action of: starting the food processing step that is allocated to the start command and proceeding, without waiting for the food processing step to be completed, to a subsequent instruction in the list of instructions.

Embodiments include a computer-implemented method (and system) for performing automated batch data alignment for modeling, monitoring, and control of an industrial batch process. The method (and system) loads, scales, and screens plant historian batch data for an industrial batch process. The method (and system) selects a reference batch as basis of the batch alignment, defines and adds or modifies one or more batch phases, and selects one or more batch variables based on one or more profiles and corresponding curvatures of the batch data. The method (and system) estimates one or more weightings, adjust one or more tuning parameters and uses a sliding time window combined with DTW, DTI and GSS algorithms, performs the batch alignment in offline mode or online mode.

This disclosure provides an apparatus and method for interactive batch operations system enabling operation excellence and competency transition. The method includes collecting data related to a batch process from different departments within a batch processing facility into a common data repository; transforming the collected data based on provided intelligence; exploiting the transformed data in the common data repository; determining a best possible alternative for continued operation of the batch process based on the exploited data; providing a visualization of the best possible alternative of the batch process using a digital twin; and operating the batch process using the determined best possible alternative on a physical twin corresponding to the digital twin.

A system and method for implementing a control process within a process control system and resolving inconsistencies during execution of the control process includes loading the logical structure of the control process, loading a plurality of instantiation objects or processes when the control process is instantiated, using the instantiation objects to instantiate a procedural element of the control process as the control process calls for the procedural element during execution, executing the procedural element as part of the control process, and deconstructing the procedural element as execution of the procedural element is completed during execution of the control process. Resolution of inconsistencies includes executing a first model of an entity in a controller, executing a second model of the entity in an execution engine, detecting a difference between the models, generating a prompt and receiving an operation instruction to continue the process or abort the process.

A control module is adapted to control technical equipment by processing batch-run data from the technical equipment. The control module operates according to parameters that are obtained by a parameter module. The module receives a reference plurality of multi-variate reference time series with data values from sources that are related to the equipment. There are time series with measurement values and time series with data that describes particular manufacturing operations during a batch-run time interval. The module splits the time interval into phases by determining transitions between the particular manufacturing operations, and divides the time series into particular phase-specific partial series. For each phase separately, and for the phase-specific partial series in combination, the module differentiates phase-specific time series into relevant partial time series or non-relevant partial time series and set the parameters accordingly.

To determine a quality indicator of production batch-run of a production process, a computer compares time-series with multi-source data from a reference batch-run and time-series with multi-source data from the production batch-run. Before comparing, the computer converts multi-variate time-series to uni-variate time-series, by first multiplying data values of source-specific uni-variate time-series with source-specific factors from a conversion factor vector and second summing up the multiplied data values according to discrete time points. The source-specific factors of the conversion factor vector are obtained earlier by processing reference data, including the determination of characteristic portions of the time-series, converting, aligning by time-warping and evaluating displacement in time between characteristic portions before alignment and after alignment.

A method evaluates a sample of measurement data from measuring multiple workpieces by at least one coordinate measuring machine. A system of statistical distributions describes a frequency of measurement data values. The distributions are distinguishable based on skewness and kurtosis. The method includes defining a set of statistical distributions that are able to describe a frequency of measurement data values in the entire value interval from the system of statistical distributions for a value interval of the measurement data, which is a specified value interval or a value interval of the measurement data actually arising in the sample. The method includes ascertaining the skewness and the kurtosis from the sample of measurement data corresponding to a first statistical distribution. The method includes checking, using the ascertained moment values, whether the defined set contains a statistical distribution that has the ascertained skewness and kurtosis, and producing a corresponding test result.

Various embodiments enable batch inspection of a plurality of workpieces by and inspection instrument such as a coordinate measuring machine. Some embodiments present user interfaces, including graphical user interfaces, to enable an operator to configure a batch inspection system and a batch inspection job, and to monitor and control execution of a batch inspection job.