Process Simulation

Don’t put the cart before the horse. Utilize process simulation systems as a means to maximize time-to-market interface

The evolution of the market has necessitated the reduction of time-to-market interfaces, mainly because the product life cycle is shorter, but also because it is very important to proceed more rapidly from an initial conception to a mass production of a project. As a result, newly evolved software environments, knowledge-based systems, and product data management, processes for integrated design and manufacturing for new products have emerged. Due to this evolution of rapid prototyping technologies, it has become possible to run system wide checks within mass production sites in a very short time.

Already, according to AMR Research, the leading advisor on the optimization of supply chains, about 20 % of all product and production changes are performed in the virtual world. The economic advantages and representation in real-time is attractive to businesses. The results include increasing product individualization, increasingly distributed value chains, rising product complexity and functionality, and the relief of the relentless pressure to move from product idea to market introduction in the shortest possible time.

Best-in-Class Process Simulation Systems Features:

• Quickly navigate through and predict complex manufacturing stages
• Run simulations at selected timescales, and selected frequencies of interaction
• Enable organizations to understand the ramifications of internal actions, at a variety of process stages, while promoting communication between systems

Top Considerations before Buying Process Simulation Systems:
"What we’re moving toward is a virtual representation of the entire value chain—everything from raw materials to lifetime maintenance, remote service and product and production planning in a holistic, seamless product lifecycle and supply chain management environment," says Paul Camuti, president of Siemens Corporate Research. "In twenty years the real and virtual worlds will be seamlessly integrated. Our simulations will duplicate reality down to the last detail. The result will be virtually limitless manufacturing flexibility."

Key Producers:

1. Automation Products Inc., a private company established in 1960, develops, manufactures and markets the Dynatrol Systems of on-stream process analyzers, measurement and control instruments, level detectors, plus a line of new accessories. Dynatrol viscosity equipment is available for either in-line measurement or as a separate “stand alone” design for applications including liquid paints, primers and fluorescent coatings as well as the properties of other fluid products used in the manufacture of plastics and other polymers. The company's Dynatrol Density Cells are available in a wide variety of corrosion-resistant materials, and are complete when paired with one of our newest Digital or Analog output Converters. The Density Systems are available as well with the Red Goose Pipeline Product Sampling System.

2. Elect to utilize a variety of process engineering services offered by Process Engineering Associates, LLC. with consultation in air, water, and solid waste management. Engineers are able to facilitate plans to ensure environmental regulations and permit limits are met. Specifically, water treatment plans include wastewater permit preparation, storm water permit preparation, water recycling and waste water treatment system designs. Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) was formed in January 1996 to provide process design, engineering, and safety services to any and all of the processing industries. Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) provides process design, applied chemical engineering and safety services to all of the processing industries, such as chemical production, pulp and paper, polymers and rubber and petroleum refining industries. They are independent consultants specializing only in chemical engineering services. Services may include feasibility studies, process evaluations, plant design and scaleup, cost estimates, de-bottlenecking, independent design verifications and plant operations support. PROCESS uses process simulation software for many customer needs.

3. Chilworth Global’s Desktop Safety System is a user-friendly software program that interprets test data, conducts hazard assessments and recommends practical safety measures from the convenience of your desktop. This program is fully customizable, cost effective and processes answers to safety questions in real-time. Other services include; hazard assessments, incident investigations, laboratory testing, process safety training, and expert witness services. As a leading one-stop source for industry's process safety and optimization needs, Chilworth Global has international consulting bases and laboratory testing facilities with state of the art dust explosion and electrostatic laboratories (with low humidity facility), and a specialist laboratory for the evaluation of thermal runaway reactions.

4. CHEMCAD is an integrated suite of chemical process engineering software designed by Chemstation, Inc. as a simulation exercise that allows users to purchase add-ons as needed for their specific industry and processes. Products include: CC-Steady State (rate existing processes), CC-Dynamics (rate dynamic processes), CC-Safety Net (safety relief devices/systesm), CC-Flash (physical property and phase equilibrium data), CC-Therm (vet a design by a vendor of a heat exchanger) and CC-Batch (design or rate a batch distillation column). For over 20 years, Chemstations and its chemical process simulation software CHEMCAD have been evolving with the highly dynamic chemical engineering industry. We believe in the value that chemical engineers bring to our world and we are dedicated to providing tools that help advance the field.

Process Simulation Systems
Definition: A process simulation system is a systematic series of mechanical or chemical operations that predicts the manufacturing environment and electronically control the process or manufacturing flow based on the various set-points given by the user.