Automation Software for the Process Manufacturing Industry

From manufacturing life-saving medications to producing colorful sweets, highly regulated industries are under intense pressure to rapidly make high-quality products in compliance with applicable laws and standards. Process manufacturing is one example where this challenge is felt. Unlike other types of manufacturing, process manufacturing relies on predetermined recipes to formulate products through chemical or physical changes.

Automate process manufacturing with zenon

As digital transformation continues to change the manufacturing landscape, it becomes increasingly important to equip your business with the right tools to adapt to the coming changes. COPA-DATA is here to help. Contact your nearest zenon representative today to learn more about how our comprehensive process manufacturing solution can enhance productivity, enable Modular production and increase efficiency in your process manufacturing facility.

Industry Management

Life Sciences & Pharmaceutical | Process Industry

Challenges

Common challenges in the process industry

Both continuous and standard process manufacturing are unique in that they use recipes or formulas to produce products in batches rather than assembling products on a line, as in discrete manufacturing. Evolving consumer demands and updated regulations present the industry with new challenges that require innovative solutions.

Some of the most significant challenges of process manufacturing include:

While inspectors can evaluate discrete manufacturing products with a quick visual or mechanical inspection, process manufacturing requires time-consuming sampling and laboratory testing at various stages.
Process manufacturing runs each batch separately, so variations in material quality, operator capabilities and equipment calibration can impact the final product.
Products made from process manufacturing undergo irreversible chemical and physical changes, so no parts can be reused if an error negatively impacts product quality.
Rising interest in individual solutions and small batches requires plants to take a different approach to increasingly shorter product and innovation cycles.
Industries that rely on process manufacturing, such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and electronics, are typically subject to strict quality assurance and consumer safety regulations at the local, national and international levels.
Keeping up with customer demand without over- or underproducing is difficult in an economy where customers increasingly want more choices and personalization.

zenon Key features

zenon for process manufacturing

Process manufacturing requires software that allows dynamic adjustments and complete operational visibility. Because of its features and capabilities, the zenon software platform is the solution that helps process industry companies to achieve the highest level of compliance, improvement of product quality and, consequently, a strong ROI.

Key platform features include:

Modular production and efficiency: Modular production splits your overall process into smaller, independent services so you can adapt each project's workflow using a “plug and produce” approach. With support for VDI/VDE/NAMUR 2658 Standards, zenon enables companies to leverage modularization for greater flexibility.
ISA-88 process automation: flexible process design, top level security, and user-friendly features. With zenon, you have all the tools necessary to comply with the ISA-88 batch standard. Free your workers from the burdens of high-stakes data reporting, enabling them to concentrate on efficiency, and transform your batch control system management.
Open process Automation thanks to zenon Process Library for zenon Logic and Siemens S7 TIA Portal
Data management: A higher level of digitalization means more data. Managing that data without the proper tools is challenging. zenon centralizes all your organization's data into one unified hub for convenient access and greater security.
MES ERP Integration: thanks to out of the box interfaces (e.g. Werum MSI), easily integration of Process equipment with MES ...
Visualization and control: Workers need to be able to interact easily with machinery and they need high-level visualization for machine operators. zenon's intuitive process visualization capabilities make operations more accessible to stakeholders across the organization, opening opportunities for greater efficiency and operational improvements.
Workflow automation: By automatically triggering certain tasks in your process workflows, zenon significantly enhances efficiency and reduces the risk of error — which can prevent costly mistakes and product losses.

Monitoring and control of classical automation systems

Support for your industry

zenon's impact across multiple industries

One software platform for many challenges. zenon is highly versatile. It is suitable for companies of many different sizes and industries, including pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, oil and gas, automotive, and more. Here are a few examples of how zenon can revolutionize process manufacturing in a variety of highly regulated industries.

Modular production

Keeping up with the modern demand for small batches and personalization is challenging for most conventional facilities. Modularization is one answer, especially in process development laboratories.
Life Sciences & Pharmaceutical

Developing and manufacturing new pharmaceutical products is becoming increasingly costly and, with more generic competitors entering the market, it's becoming more difficult for brand name medications to make a high return on investment.
Food and Beverage Manufacturing

The food and beverage manufacturing must balance high yield and efficiency with impeccable quality and compliance management. Taking advantage of advanced production software is essential for maximizing cost savings without losing quality.

zenon for modular production

Keeping up with the modern demand for small batches and personalization is challenging for most conventional facilities. Modularization is one answer, especially in process development laboratories.

By applying the concept of modular production, overall processes are divided into separate, standardized and pre-validated modules that can be connected flexibly using drag and drop. The zenon MTP Suite makes achieving end-to-end modular production easy with the ability to integrate all your equipment into one convenient management hub. The platform is compatible with a wide variety of machines, so you can quickly implement it into your existing architecture and get to work with minimal downtime. If you are unsure whether zenon will work with your equipment, our Validation Service for MTP files will help you determine the answer.

Video

Modular Plant. Dream or reality? Here we go!

See how we make the modular plant a reality! Simplify your challenges in industrial automation with zenon and the power of modular automation! Take a look at the video to see how easy it is to integrate devices into the zenon Process Orchestration Layer (POL) using drag and drop.

Modular production is real. Achema 2024.

Life sciences and pharmaceutical production

Developing and manufacturing new pharmaceutical products is becoming increasingly costly and, with more generic competitors entering the market, it's becoming more difficult for brand name medications to make a high return on investment.

Modular manufacturing with the zenon Module Type Package Suite (MTP Suite) enables more flexible production, enabling companies to produce smaller batches of personalized medications to meet more patients' individual needs. Process automation improves consistency and accuracy for better quality control and cost savings.

zenon's strong data management capabilities simplify compliance with various national and international regulations by preserving data integrity and improving accessibility for easier documentation and auditing. Additionally, with zenon, pharmaceutical companies can completely eliminate paper documentation – which can help reduce human error and lower costs.

Modular Flow Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Production and Process Development Laboratories

Modular flow chemistry is transforming the pharmaceutical industry, enabling greater efficiency and precision in drug development. This innovative approach, combined with modular automation and the Module Type Package (MTP) standard, is ushering in a new era of pharmaceutical manufacturing. It enables continuous production with precise control over molecular synthesis, resulting in enhanced product consistency and reduced impurity levels. This technology also accelerates development cycles, allowing for real-time monitoring and immediate adjustments to optimize manufacturing processes. The integration of modular flow chemistry with MTP-based automation creates a powerful ecosystem for pharmaceutical production. By offering plug-and-produce flexibility, it allows for easy reconfiguration of production lines. Plus, standardized module communication through MTP facilitates seamless integration of equipment into the overall process control systems.

One of the most significant advantages of this synergy is the potential for faster time-to-market. Additionally, the enables cost-effective small-batch production, particularly beneficial in pharmaceutical development, with potential cost savings of up to 40%. Perhaps most importantly, this technological convergence allows for rapid adaptation to market demands. Pharmaceutical companies can quickly adjust their production processes to accommodate new products or changes in production quantities, addressing the industry's need for flexibility and agility. As the pharmaceutical landscape continues to evolve, this innovative approach stands at the forefront, driving the industry towards a more efficient and adaptable future.

Find out more here Why modular flow chemistry leads to better pharmaceuticals

Food and beverage manufacturing

As one of the most tightly regulated industries, food and beverage manufacturing must balance high yield and efficiency with impeccable quality and compliance management. Taking advantage of advanced production software is essential for maximizing cost savings without losing quality.

With its flexible, scalable architecture and hardware-independent functionality, zenon offers food and beverage companies the ability to dynamically adapt to changes in the market and the industry. Process automation provides greater consistency and efficiency, while complete integration with all your production equipment enables you to step in and control your processes in real time when necessary.