GE Digital

Proficy Batch Execution – Overview

October 2020

©©GE
GEDigital 2020
Digital 2019
Proficy Batch Execution from GE Digital
Consistent batch control without complex programming

• Powerful and easy recipes

• Smarter and faster
development
• Improved security and
compliance
• Open and layered solution
• Operator views and controls

OUTCOMES
• Increases product quality and
efficiency
• Reduces waste and cost
Batch What's New ? | November 21, 2024 © GE Digital 2
Proficy Batch Execution from GE Digital
Perfect for life sciences, food & beverage, consumer goods and specialty chemical
industries

• Client / Server application that controls equipment

phases for batch manufacturing
• A flexible and customizable approach to
implementing batch with existing control systems
without having to rework the control logic
• Manufactures a range of products according to
their recipe - procedure and parameters
• Supports standard PLI functionality alongside
simpler Batch Direct phases - reduce complexity
and implementation cost
• Empowers process owners to quickly and
efficiently deploy batch automation

© GE Digital
How does it work?

• Write, schedule, and execute recipes that

have sequence variation that can be
drastically different without modifying PLC
code
• Recipes can be formulations, procedures
and equipment requirements
• Based on the ISAS88 model and class
standards
• Specifically designed to address 21 CFR • Supports up to a 1000 different
Part 11 regulations through Electronic equipment “phases” or 1000
Signature, auditing and version control different recipes

Assures that your products are being • GE Work Instruction extends the
manufactured correctly through powerful solution with operator workflow
and deviation management
and easy recipes
Batch What's New ? | November 21, 2024 © GE Digital 4
Where Proficy Batch Execution fits in our Portfolio
Digitizing processes and democratizing digital tools to enable collaboration &
continuous improvements
Visualization
enabled
Manufacturing Data across all
Cloud
levels and
roles for
Business
Intelligence
Operations Hub

Plant
Dream Applications Tracker ROB-EX
Report (Hybrid, process (Fast Discrete) Scheduler
Complex assembly)
Proficy

Workflo
Historian CSense
Webspace Operations Hub w

iFIX CIMPLICITY Batch WIN-

HMI/SCADA HMI/SCADA Execution 911

I/O Drivers – IGS

© GE Digital
Unified
Operations with Web Apps Monitor
Compare
Cycle Time
Digital
Andon

Proficy Dashboard
s
Loss &
stoppage
Reporting
& Analysis

Operations Hub
2.0
Proficy Operations Hub
Designer (Development Environment)
OPC
MQTT REST SQL
UA

Manufacturing Plant
Media Other
Operations Application Workflow Batch Tracker Historian SQL DBs CMMS
Server Systems
Management s

Industrial iFIX / CIMPLICITY

Automation

© GE Digital
Proficy Operations Hub & the Digital Plant Portfolio
NEW in Operations Hub Proficy Plant Applications

Proficy Batch Execution

Proficy Workflow

Proficy Historian

© GE Digital
Batch Execution from GE Digital
The Recipe / Batch Management application for Plant Intelligence
solution.

Define recipes for products,

as formulations, procedures
and equipment
requirements

Schedule and execute the

recipe

Store information on the

recipe
execution

Batch Solutions from GE | © GE Digital

The Equipment Phase
We separate the low-level operation of equipment (equipment phase)
from the procedure used to make a product (recipe phase)
AGITATE AGITATE PHASE UNIT
PHASE CLASS

PLC

1) Equipment phase 2) that has a small, well defined, 3) that controls the
defined in Batch modular control program operation of the physical
Execution equipment

The process used for any product is defined within Batch Execution,
and changes to the process do NOT change the control system

Batch Solutions from GE | © GE Digital

Graphical Modeling – Equipment Editor

• ISA S88.01 compliant modeling of

manufacturing operations (Area,
Process Cell, Unit, Phase)
• Integrated with iFIX Workspace, GE
Batch workspace or standalone
• Easy to use, graphical, class based
development
• No database required. Browse
directly thru the process control
system.

Batch Solutions from GE | © GE Digital

The Recipe Editor

• Define procedure, workflow,

parameters and equipment and
connection requirements for each
product
• Scalable recipe with minimum,
maximum and typical sizes, tied to
equipment capacity at run time
• Flexible flow charting methodology
• IEC 1131-3 sequential function charts
(SFCs) for procedure definition
• Class based recipes and complete re-
use of recipe components
• Manage a few recipes or a thousand
• Maintain recipes in relational database,
if desired

Batch Solutions from GE | © GE Digital

Campaign Client Control

Batch Solutions from GE | © GE Digital

Designed for 21 CFR Part 11

• Point of Entry Verification with Electronic Signatures for Runtime Active X Controls
and Recipe/Equipment Editors
• Equipment and Recipe Auditing and Version Control
• Centralized Storage of E-Record with Encrypted Store and Forward
• Automatically Generated Runtime and Configuration Audit Trail
• Audit Trail Reporter
• Password and User Management Centrally Administered Through Windows Security
• Centralized Audit Trail with Quick and Easy Reporting Capabilities

Batch Solutions from GE | © GE Digital

Capture Signatures for Runtime Operations & Configuration
Changes

Permission based on security

group membership
Two signatures supported for
each command
Configure each command for
individual signature
requirements, or use the default
Audit trail stored in the batch
archive

Batch Solutions from GE | © GE Digital

Batch Integration Services

• External control and interfacing for the batch server

• Implements over 70 interfaces with over 250 properties and methods
• Used for ERP/MES integration, ActiveX controls, HMI integration and
GE Work Instruction

Batch Solutions from GE | © GE Digital

Proficy Batch Execution – Updates
Connect to the Batch engine through native REST API calls

• Exposes all runtime VBIS

commands to RESTful Web
Clients, so that Operators can
use a Web client to interact
with Batch (for ex. Proficy
Operations Hub)
• Stop, start, pause, manual
phase control, alarms, report
binding info., execution status,
EWI
Free when used with GE Digital
Web clients

Batch What's New ? | November 21, 2024 © GE Digital 16

Batch REST API
Two options – for GE Web Clients or non-GE Web Clients

New option
• Requires either an existing or new 5.6
Batch Server with Integration Server
option
• GE Web Client option is free
• When ordered for non-GE Web Clients,
list price is 50% of the combined price
of both the Batch Server and
Integration Server
• Zip file and Postman collection file json
file can be downloaded from same
location as Batch 5.6 ISO and must be
installed on same node as Batch
Server
Batch What's New ? | November 21, 2024 © GE Digital 17
Batch REST API Technical details
Connect to the Batch engine through native REST API calls
• The BatchRestAPI Service is to be installed onto the same computer as Proficy Batch
Execution. It will communicate with VBIS.exe on the same computer.
• When installed, it runs as an automatic Windows Service with a 5-year certificate
• Basic Authentication is required. The Batch REST API supports http and https. This can be
configured on the server with the batch_config_rest_service.json. https is the default
• The root URL for all REST calls is https://localhost:4867/BatchRestAPI/
• Web server used is NGINX
• Help file includes Postman files with examples for all API calls
The BatchRestAPI will make API calls to the GE Proficy Batch VBIS.exe application. If an API call fails due to an error from the
Batch System, VBIS returns an error code and the information is returned in the response. Additional details will be logged in
the batch_rest_service.log The VBIS.log on the Batch Server computer will also contain more detailed error messages. Note
that for some VBIS API calls (PUT calls), VBIS will send the request to the Batch Server and return success without knowing if
the Batch Server was successful with the call. For these cases, we return the success status and the detail message "The
command was sent to the batch server".

Batch What's New ? | November 21, 2024 © GE Digital 18

Complete list of available API calls
AlarmAPI BindingPromptsAPI PhaseControlAPI RecipeManagementAPI
GET /alarms PUT /ackbindingprompt PUT /acquirephase POST /addrecipe
GET /bindingprompts PUT /phasecommand GET
AreaModelAPI GET /phases2 /globalformulationheader
GET /areamodelheader BreakpointAPI PUT /releasephase GET
GET /connections PUT /ackbreakpointprompt /productformulationheader
GET /controlmodules GET /breakpointprompts RecipeAPI GET /recipeheader
GET /dataservers GET /breakpoints GET /recipeparameters PUT /rebuildrecipedir
GET /enumerationsets PUT /clearbreakpoint GET /recipeunits PUT /resetcontrol
GET /manifolds PUT /setbreakpoint GET /recipes PUT /updatemasterrecipe
GET /phases GET /verifyrecipe
GET /processcells ESignatureAPI RecipeElementsAndStepCont
GET /tags POST /addsecurityevent rolAPI
GET /units POST /authenticateuser PUT /ackstepbindingprompt
GET /activerecipesteplistitems
BatchAPI ElectronicWorkInstructionA PUT /steprebind
POST /addbatch PI GET /recipeelements
POST /addbatchevent PUT /ackewiprompt GET /recipelinks
GET /batchstate POST /addewievent GET /recipesteplistitems
GET /batches GET /ewiprompts GET /recipesteptransitions
PUT /bindbatch GET /recipesteps
GET /parameters Misc GET /recipetransitionexpression
DELETE /batches GET /about PUT /steps(Run Step Command)
GET /reportparameters PUT /setrecipeparametervalue
PUT /batches (Run Batch OperatorPromptsAPI
Command) PUT /ackoperatorprompt
PUT /setunittag GET /operatorprompts
GET /unittags
Batch What's New ? | November 21, 2024 © GE Digital 19
Example – Get Batch State

Batch What's New ? | November 21, 2024 © GE Digital 20

Campaign Manager – Client Control

• Creates Campaigns using a Campaign Wizard

• Manages Campaigns
• Provides running Batch List displays
• Runs in iFIX Workspace

Batch Solutions from GE | © GE Digital

Batch Breakpoints
Temporary pauses at transitions
• Used to troubleshoot a batch
• A one-time event needs
to occur while running
a batch (such as a filter
or equipment change)
List of Breakpoints

Batch Solutions from GE | © GE Digital

Work Instruction SIM
(October 2020)
Proficy Batch Execution Updates
Electronic Work Instruction (EWI) SIM
• A Batch option
• Work Instruction allows for
generating, displaying,
manipulating, and recording EWIs
and signing these instructions with
electronic signatures.
• EWIs contain the required operator
action, data capture, deviation
record (if required), operator
verification, and/or confirmation
requirements that pertain to a
single process step.

Batch What's New ? | November 21, 2024 © GE Digital 24

Proficy Batch Execution Updates
Work Instruction SIM
• Historically, Proficy Batch Execution has Knowledge Base article 000036513 has been added to provide
relied solely on Microsoft Visual Source a jumpstart on how to install and use the feature
Safe (VSS) for EWI version control.
• With the introduction of SIM
IB56_06232020 for Batch 5.6 released
in June 2020, a free open source
version control system called
Subversion (SVN) is now supported.

https://subversion.apache.org/

Batch What's New ? | November 21, 2024 © GE Digital 25

Work Instruction SIM IB56_06232020

• SIM IB56_06232020 adds functionality to use Subversion (SVN) as a source repository for
Electronic Work Instructions as an alternative to Virtual Source Safe (VSS).
• Subversion is a free/open source version control system (VCS). That is, Subversion manages
files and directories, and the changes made to them, over time. This allows you to recover
older versions of your data or examine the history of how your data changed.
• While generally any SVN client may be utilized, TortoiseSVN (https://tortoisesvn.net) is the
recommended variant that is known to be compatible with Proficy Batch. Version 1.13 and
above of the Tortoise SVN client is recommended to be the client utilized. Utilize the 64-bit
version of the Subversion server.
• As when using Visual SourceSafe (VSS), the repository for EWI must be configured in the Batch
Workspace under the Electronic Work Instruction (EWI) tab of the Batch Execution
Configuration and also in the iWorkInstruction Editor using the Source Control Configuration
Toolbar.
• Similar to configuration using VSS, SVN should be configured with three sub-projects
(EWIWork, EWIProduction and EWIObsolete).

Batch What's New ? | November 21, 2024 © GE Digital 26

Batch Analysis
An option to greatly optimize your Batch operations
Plant Applications – MES for hybrid manufacturing
Maximize operations management, improve production performance, and drive
product quality

Quality Management
Efficiency Management
• R/T product & process quality analysis & control
• Track downtime & waste
• Alarm to conformance limits
• OEE and root causes
• Lower production waste, scrap & recall cost
• Standard and ad-hoc reports & dashboards
• Right First Time

Production Management Batch Analysis

• Track and trace genealogy of products • Batch analysis & reporting according to ISA-88
• Production schedule execution & tracking • Electronic batch records
• Order dispatch from schedule • Add to both new and existing systems
• Monitor consumption of resources • Analysis of scheduled and completed batches

Batch Solutions from GE | © GE Digital

System Architecture
System Architecture

Recipe Archiver
Editor
R Batch
Equipme Server
nt
Editor E SoftPhas
e
Development Client Server

Process Systems
BIS
BIS DCS/PLC
ERP/MES
BIS
Batch Batch
Runtime Client
ActiveX Client Campaig
n
Manager
© GE Digital
Batch Server

Includes the components required to run Batch such as the Batch Server, the Archiver, and Soft
Phase Server
• Server Packs are sold based on the number of Units that the Batch product will be interacting with to run
the batches.
• A unit is defined in the equipment model generally as a piece of equipment (i.e., mixer, furnace, vat) that
include any number of phases to be controlled.
• Unit sizes include 5, 10, 20, and 255 units.

The Batch Server Pack is the software build for the batch server responsible for coordinating the
function of recipes, area model, and each Batch Client during production.
The Batch Server lets users bind and rebind unit procedures “on the fly” to physical equipment at
any point during the batch’s life cycle, either automatically or manually via the operator and
generates batch record. It communicates with GE’s HMI/SCADA and process hardware through
OPC or DDE, and relational databases through ODBC.
The Server Pack also includes the SoftPhase Server, an OPC Server for simulating and running
PC-based phases.
This includes all the functionality required to run the©Batch
GE Digital
server including: Batch Server, Server
31
Server

Pilot Small Medium Large

Number of Phases Licensed = 255

Number of Units Number of Units Number of Units Number of Units

Licensed = 5 Licensed = 10 Licensed = 20 Licensed = 255

November 21, 2024 © GE Digital 32

Development Client

The Development Client consists of the Recipe Editor and Equipment Editor. This is what is used
to configure and maintain the recipes and execution of the batches.
The Development Client provides the engineering and modeling tools required to develop a
Batch Application. The Development Client is designed to be used by engineers and end users to
develop recipes and area models. It can be installed either on the same node as the server or on
a separate node.
This Pack includes the recommended GE software build for developing Batch applications
including:
• Batch WorkSpace
• Recipe Editor
• Equipment Editor
Note: If the Development Client is to be installed on a machine other than or from the Server,
indicate a separate key is required on the order form.

© GE Digital 33
Runtime Client

Contains the components for operators to view and control the batch engine during production. The Runtime
Client contains two alternatives for client operation, either the dedicated Batch Client application, or a
library of Batch ActiveX controls for use in any OLE Container, including GE’s HMI/SCADA, or Visual Basic or
a Web Browser.

This Pack includes the Batch Client ActiveX Control Library

recommended GE software build • Batch list • BatchList Control
for a Batch Client:
• Procedure as a Sequential • BatchAlarmList Control
• Batch Runtime Client Function Chart (SFC) • BatchAdd Control
• Batch ActiveX Library • Procedure as tables • BatchOperatorPrompts List
• iFIX runtime Client • Event journal Control
• Batch Integration Services • Unacknowledged prompts • BatchRecipeList Control
Client (BIS)
• Manual phase control • BatchBindingPromptsList Control
• Arbitration • Manual Phase
• Alarm summary
• Phase summary
• Configuration

© GE Digital 34
Success Story
 Life Sciences | HMI/SCADA | EUROPE Reckitt Benckiser
Challenge
Production had grown beyond an original automation
solution, and demands were much higher. Upgrading

Optimized
had to be achieved without shutting down the
factory.
Action

production with •Implemented the latest versions of GE Digital’s Batch

Execution software as well as iFIX and Proficy Historian

Batch Execution
•Remove bespoke applications and configure the
solution to undertake those tasks itself

Result
•Improved production stability
•Boosted product quality, consistency, and
traceability
•Cut maintenance costs
© GE Digital
Conclusion
Conclusion
Proficy Batch Execution
• Consistent batch control without complex
programming
• Perfect for life sciences, food & beverage,
consumer goods, and specialty chemical
• Increases product quality and efficiency
• Reduces waste and costs
• Integrates seamlessly with GE Digital’s
HMI/SCADA

© GE Digital