APPLICATION OF ELIPSE E3 SOFTWARE FOR CONTROLLING THE ENZYME PRODUCTION PROCESS AT NOVOZYMES

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1 APPLICATION OF ELIPSE E3 SOFTWARE FOR CONTROLLING THE ENZYME PRODUCTION PROCESS AT NOVOZYMES This case presents the Elipse E3 application for automating and collecting information about the fermentation and formulation phases of the enzyme production process Augusto Ribeiro Mendes Filho Elipse Software's Media Relations Needs Novozymes is the world leader in bioinnovation. Together with customers across a broad array of industries we create tomorrow's industrial biosolutions, improving our customers' business and the use of our planet's resources. With over 700 products used in 130 countries, Novozymes' bioinnovations improve industrial performance and safeguard the world's resources by offering superior and sustainable solutions for tomorrow's ever-changing marketplace. Novozymes' natural solutions enhance and promote everything from removing trans fats in cooking, to advancing biofuels to power the world tomorrow. Our never-ending exploration of nature's potential is evidenced by over 6,000 patents, showing what is possible when nature and technology join forces. Novozymes has over 5,000 employees globally, working in research, production, sales, and administration. Novozymes is quoted on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen A/S (NZYM B). Read more at website. Looking for automating and collecting information about the fermentation and formulation phases of the enzyme production process, Novozymes decided to implement E3, the solution for monitoring and controlling processes developed by Elipse Software. Then the plant engineers are prepared to evaluate the ongoing process and make decisions online to correct the course of a process, or have access to data which can be used to improve the following processes. For this implementation, Novozymes counted on RoqueCorreia, company responsible for the software application. In total, they purchased 15 E3 copies, six Control copies, seven Viewer Only copies, one Studio copy, and one Server copy. Solution The automation system of the plant, shortly, works this way: a SQL Server placed on IT building collects data. After that, a second server with E3 installed on it gets this data and sends it to the 1

2 PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), which performs process control. All monitored using E3 screens, which are accessed on every computer located on control and operation rooms of the plant. For a better understanding of the software role, you must understand how the enzyme production process is performed on Novozymes. First, a certain amount of raw material is placed inside tanks, along with fungi and bacteria which, under correct environmental conditions, turn this raw material into enzymes. This is the first phase, a period where enzymatic fermentation takes place. The role of E3 in this phase is to perform a control over all the necessary factors to finish the process. These factors range from the amount of microbiota to put on tanks (raw material, fungi, and bacteria) to the best environmental conditions for enzyme fermentation (temperature, pressure, oxygen, ph, nutrient dosage, and ammonia). Everything controlled using the screens of the software. Figure 1. Screen for monitoring the nutrient dosage process Next, enzymes are sent to recovering tanks via pipes, then sent to a filtering process, which consists in the separation of solid material from liquid and concentrated enzymes, which is then 2

3 sent to the granulation sector. In granulation, the liquid enzyme is blended with several raw materials, including salt, in a device named mixer, until it becomes shaped as small grains. Figure 2. Control screen of the salt mill When blending finishes, enzymes pass through a drying process which, like blending, must also respect a certain limit of time and temperature. At last, they are submitted to a new blending with other substances to form a protective layer over every grain before cooled and selected for the final product. Everything, from the amount of raw material, drying time, to the performance of the mixers, controlled by Elipse software. 3

4 Figure 3. Control screen of the drying phase Another feature provided by E3 is data sampling regarding fermentation and granulation using reports and historics, which can be saved as Excel or PDF formats. Besides, the software has an alarm system which alerts operators in case an equipment is not working according to the parameters determined for the most perfect fermentation and granulation of enzymes. Benefits Agility on sending formulas to the PLC, containing all the necessary parameters for the enzymes' most correct functioning of fermentation and granulation processes. Reliability of data sent by E3. Greater productivity, since the operators have no need to follow the whole process, allowing them to perform other tasks. More safety, since it is possible to view control parameters of the enzymatic fermentation and granulation processes on screen. 4

5 Reduction of error margins, because E3 warns the operators in case of any problem with the equipment. Greater control over data regarding the fermentation and granulation phases using historics and reports, which can be saved as Excel or PDF formats. Final Thoughts For the automation analyst of, Roseli Ayumi Nitatori, E3 represented an increase in productivity for Novozymes, provided by the automation of the fermentation and granulation processes of the company. "Today, thanks to the software, it is possible to quickly follow different data, from the time the plant has been halted to the final amount of enzymes produced", said Ayumi. For the process engineers of Novozymes, the question regarding information reliability is one of the main features provided by the software, because it allows performing a consistent evaluation, optimizing the process. For professionals responsible for granulation, the main benefit brought by E3 is focused on the fact that it provides several data unknown to the operators until now. This way, the software allows operators to foresee and prevent, quickly and safely, possible interferences which may disturb the final results. TECHNICAL INFORMATION Client: Novozymes Latin America Ltda System Integrator: RoqueCorreia, Automação Elipse Package used: Elipse E3 Number of copies: 15 Platform: Windows Server 2003 Number of I/O points: 9000 I/O driver: OPC da Siemens 5