Cloud MES Feedback Control for Pharmaceutical Process Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes face challenges in achieving efficient and cost-effective quality control and production due to limitations in cloud computing and process control technologies, leading to higher drug costs and inconsistencies.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based manufacturing execution system (MES) is integrated into pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing systems, utilizing software programs for real-time monitoring and control of active, inactive, and in-process materials, ensuring purity and consistency through distributed networks, sensors, and software-based PLCs, with protocols like HTTP, MQTT, and TCP/IP for data communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If cloud-based MES is implemented for real-time monitoring and control, then manufacturing precision and quality control are improved, but device complexity and network infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based MES platform as an intermediary between manufacturing equipment and control systems. This cloud platform receives data from sensors and PLCs via protocols like MQTT and HTTP, processes quality control logic, and sends control commands back to equipment. This intermediary approach improves manufacturing precision through centralized intelligence while avoiding the need to embed complex control logic in individual devices, thus managing device complexity.
2Productivity
If distributed control systems are used with multiple sensors and PLCs, then productivity and real-time control are improved, but loss of information and communication reliability may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements comprehensive feedback mechanisms where sensors continuously monitor manufacturing parameters and send data to the cloud-based MES via MQTT or HTTP protocols. The MES processes this feedback information and sends control commands back to software-based PLCs, which adjust equipment parameters in real-time. This closed-loop feedback system ensures data integrity and communication reliability by continuously verifying and correcting information flow across the distributed control architecture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If software-based PLCs and cloud computing are implemented, then adaptability and flexibility are improved, but use of energy and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts complex computational tasks from local devices and relocates them to cloud-based servers. Software-based PLCs running on embedded systems perform only lightweight real-time control functions, while the cloud-based MES handles heavy computational loads for quality control analysis, process optimization, and adaptive parameter adjustment. This extraction approach improves system adaptability and flexibility by enabling complex algorithms in the cloud while minimizing energy consumption at the edge devices.
Data Source
AI summary
“Cloud” based manufacturing execution systems (“MES”) and methods thereof used to control, execute, and monitor pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical production processes and systems are disclosed herein. Consequently, the methods and systems provide a means to quality manufacturing on an integrated level whereby drug or biologic manufacturers can achieve data and product integrity and ultimately minimize cost.