Robust and affordable process control technologies for improving standards and optimising industrial operations (ProPAT)

Description

The Process Industries require a high degree of automation, monitoring, and advanced simulation and control
for their often complex manufacturing processes and operations. Emphasis is on continuous or batch production,
mixing, reaction and separation of materials of higher value. Indeed, increased globalisation and competition are
drivers for process analytical technologies (PAT) that enable seamless process control, greater flexibility and cost
efficiency.ProPAT aims to develop novel sensors and analysers for providing measurements on composition, particle
size and local bulk properties, as well as more traditional but smart sensors for measuring other process parameters,
such as temperature, flowrate, pressure, etc., and integrate them into a versatile global control platform for data
acquisition, data processing & mining and User Interface in order to measure properties of process streams and
products, accurately and in real-time. The platform also provides self-learning and predictive capabilities aimed for
dramatically reducing overcosts derived from even slight deviations from the optimum process.Low cost MEMS-NIR
spectroscopic and granulometric analysers, smart sensors for in batch and in continuous processes will be developed
and integrated into the global control platform with the chemometric tools and the predictive software to deliver an
integrated process control platform. ProPAT will enable near real time closed-loop process control to operate industrial
processes at their optimum, both economically and environmentally, while ensuring high levels of quality. It will also
allow the uptake of the Quality by Design for continuous process improvement. The project results will be validated in
different processes and applications including milling of minerals, ceramics, metals, mixing and granulation of pharma
products and polymerization of resins, and will represent a major step forward towards more efficient, reliable and
sustainable industrial operation.