Phase-based control code
Equipment phases built to the S88 model, using Rockwell PhaseManager with FactoryTalk Batch, Siemens SIMATIC BATCH on PCS 7, or lightweight PLC-based recipe control when a full batch server isn’t needed.
Process automation
Batch process control
We design and program batch control systems for plants that make many products on shared equipment, structured to ISA-88 so recipes, equipment, and records stay clear and maintainable.
What it is
What batch control is
Batch processes make a finite quantity of product by running a recipe: an ordered set of phases such as charge, heat, mix, hold, and transfer. The same vessels and equipment are shared and reconfigured between products. That differs from continuous control, where material flows steadily and the goal is holding a process at setpoint, and from discrete control, where machines make countable parts. Many plants have all three; batch adds recipes, sequencing, and records on top.
Standards
Standards we design to
Batch systems we deliver are aligned with these standards, applied to the scope of your project.
ISA-88 / IEC 61512
The batch control standard. It separates what to make (the recipe) from how the equipment does it (equipment control), so new products are a new recipe, not new code.
ISA-95 / IEC 62264
Defines the boundary between plant-floor control and business systems, so batch, MES, and ERP exchange orders, materials, and results in a consistent structure.
PackML (ISA-TR88.00.02)
A common machine state model (idle, starting, execute, held, complete, and so on) that makes packaging and filling machines behave and report the same way on a line.
FDA 21 CFR Part 11 & EU Annex 11
Rules for electronic records and electronic signatures: secure user access, audit trails of who changed what and when, and records that can’t be quietly altered.
GAMP 5
A risk-based framework for validating computerized systems in pharma and biotech. We design and document the control system so it fits your validation approach.
ISA-18.2
Alarm management: alarms are rationalized and prioritized so operators see the ones that need action, not a flood.
IEC 61131-3
The standard PLC programming languages. Sequential Function Chart (SFC) maps naturally onto phase logic, which makes batch sequences easier to read and maintain.
Would you like to know more? More on the ISA-88 physical and procedural models, and recipe types
The physical model
ISA-88 describes equipment as a hierarchy: enterprise → site → area → process cell → unit → equipment module → control module. A unit (for example a reactor or mix tank) runs one batch at a time; equipment modules (a dosing system, an agitator) and control modules (a valve, a motor, a transmitter) sit beneath it. Structuring code the same way means a new unit can reuse proven modules.
The procedural model
A recipe’s procedure is broken into procedure → unit procedure → operation → phase. Phases (charge, heat, agitate, transfer) are the reusable building blocks the equipment exposes; recipes arrange them in order with their parameters.
Recipe types
ISA-88 defines four recipe levels. A general recipe is the enterprise-wide product definition, independent of equipment. A site recipe adapts it to a site’s materials and conditions. A master recipe targets a specific process cell’s equipment. A control recipe is the copy that runs a single batch, with its actual values recorded.
Why it matters
Keeping recipes separate from equipment control means new products are added as recipes, equipment changes are made once in the modules, and validation effort stays focused on what actually changed.
Capabilities
How we build batch systems
Recipe management
Recipes and parameters managed apart from the logic, with controlled versions, so operators run products without code changes.
Material tracking & genealogy
Lot and material tracking from receipt through each unit, so you can trace what went into every batch.
Electronic batch records & reports
Batch reports and electronic records that capture setpoints, actuals, operator actions, and events for review and release.
CIP / SIP sequencing
Clean-in-place and sterilize-in-place sequences with verified temperatures, flows, conductivity, and hold times.
Weigh, dose & flow totalizing
Scale and flow-meter based ingredient additions with tolerances, dribble control, and totalizing tied to the recipe.
Validation support documents
Functional design specifications, test protocols, and FAT/SAT documentation that support your validation and quality process.
Alarm rationalization
Alarm lists reviewed and prioritized in line with ISA-18.2, so the alarm system stays useful as the plant grows.
Industries
Industries that run on batch control
Food & beverage
Mixing, cooking, dairy, and brewing with recipe changeovers and CIP between products.
Pharmaceutical & biotech
Validated batch execution, electronic records, and audit trails for regulated production.
Chemicals & specialty chemicals
Reactor and blending sequences with precise additions, temperature profiles, and interlocks.
Cosmetics & personal care
Many short recipes on shared vessels, with fast, consistent changeovers.
Paints, coatings & adhesives
Ingredient dosing, dispersion, and tinting steps repeated accurately batch after batch.
Plastics & resins
Reactor batches and compounding with tight control of charge order and temperature.
Agriculture, fertilizer & feed
Formula-based blending of many ingredients with weigh-batching and lot tracking.
Water treatment chemical dosing
Batch make-down and dosing of treatment chemicals with tracked quantities.
Building materials
Concrete and mortar batching with accurate aggregate, cement, water, and admixture additions.
Nutraceuticals
Supplement blending and processing with recipe control and traceable records.
Next step
Planning a batch system or recipe upgrade?
Tell us about your products, equipment, and records requirements, and we’ll help scope the controls and documentation.