The flexible production of very small batches is the latest trend and needs to become economically viable. As such, automation is playing an increasingly important role for modular production in the process industry – be it to manufacture personalized pharmaceuticals or different-sized shower gels and creams in the cosmetics industry. MTP (Module Type Package) modules are the prerequisite for rapid changes in the process with components and modules from different manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Up until now, the basic chemicals sector has relied on mass production with correspondingly extensive facilities. In fine chemicals and pharmaceutical production, batch systems (batch process of discontinuous production methods) are also used, which can be used to run different recipes. Once built, they are not intended to be converted. A higher-level central process control system controls these systems, and changes involve costly planning, conversion, and programming work or even the installation of a completely new system.
To meet the requirements of flexible production systems, Festo has fully automated a production module with the MTP. In the process, Festo was also able to demonstrate the efficient setup of modular systems based on the MTP approach. In this case, a production system no longer involves a central control system but consists of individual modules with their own integrated controller. In this context, each module is responsible for a specific section of the production process, such as mixing or filling.
Festo was involved in shaping modular production at a very early stage, for example in the corresponding working group at the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association. “The advantage of modular systems is that they can be quickly designed, built, and also adapted to fluctuating production numbers. Ultimately, the product is manufactured faster and is on the market sooner,” explains Christ Stich, Advanced Develop. Digital Engineering at Festo. Festo automated a production module of a modular biopharma system from INVITE. In addition to Bayer, the Technical University of Dortmund, and the Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf are also active members of the INVITE network.
The project shows how modules from different manufacturers can be installed in a system and quickly brought into operation if they comply with the MTP standard. The MTP standard is a uniform interface description for the immediate integration (plug and produce) of the individual modules into the process control level (POL). In this context, the MTP file contains all the information necessary for control and monitoring. Data is exchanged between the module and POL during operation via OPC UA. Festo is actively working on the MTP standard described in VDI/VDE/NAMUR Guideline 2658.
The biopharmaceutical system being automated consisted of a reactor module with heating and stirring functions and two dosing modules. Each module runs autonomously thanks to its integrated controller. In this case, Festo used the CPX-CEC controller for one of the dosing modules, while a Siemens controller was used for the second dosing module. In doing so, the project partners demonstrated that the dosing modules can be automatically integrated into the POL (process orchestration layer) using the MTP standard, irrespective of the manufacturer. Festo used its own PA toolkit to program its MTP module. This features preprogrammed function blocks to quickly and easily program MTP modules. The MTP description file can then be generated automatically from the automation program. The project ran from 2019 to 2021.