Curvaceous Software has released CVE 2.5, offering consistent alarm management to simplify the process of setting alarms and the ability to build multi-phase, multi-stage processes.
Batch process analysis and modelling capabilities have been extended to eliminate much of the data pre-processing that was previously performed in spreadsheets.
The User Guide includes 130 extra pages of worked examples and tutorials covering: a continuous ammonium nitrate process; a multi-stage, multi-phase batch process; and an oil refining consistent alarm rationalisation application.
Datasets are provided to assist working through the examples, which are all based on real processes, data and problems donated by CVE users.
CVE 2.5 is able to handle many variables at once providing consistent alarms for Hi-Lo limit setting.
Consistent alarms is a new and improved method that requires good process knowledge but no maths to find values for Hi-Lo and Hi-Hi/Lo-Lo alarm limits starting from process history data instead of alarm log data.
CVE can provide instant feedback on the annunciation rates and standing alarm counts that will result in any alarm limits altered during an alarm review meeting.
Users can save at least 20 per cent of the man-hours in performing alarm review meetings and because CVE handles alarm limits as sets instead of individually, it will reduce the ongoing administration burden of change management into the future.
Multiple modes of operation are handled by CVE and there is an easy path to 'alerts' generation using the companion CPM product.
In many companies, specialist teams from HQ support many alarm rationalisation projects and to support these teams with CVE and CPM tools, the company has introduced the Alarm Rationalisation Team Bundle.
This comprises three CVE licences and one CPM licence and is intended to be loaded on laptops to enable flexible working as the team travels from site to site.
Batch process analysis and 'control new' functionality in CVE means that the common issues experienced in completing batch projects and building multi-phase CPM models that previously required advanced use of Excel calculations and occasionally VBA are no longer problematic.
Users can analyse, compare and model multi-stage, multi-phase batch processes in pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and speciality chemicals without mathematical knowledge and to a degree that is not achievable by other methods.
New CVE functions remove the need for data manipulation by including the Stage Number and Phase Number as variables in the process data.
Stage Number does not cause any problems, but Phase Number can as some older systems don't record it primarily because none of the existing methods of data analysis could make use of it.
As with CVE 2.4, there will be an occasional service release for CVE 2.5 containing improvements and any bug fixes.
Service releases will be made available by electronic download only.
To support users, the company has issued a new schedule of training classes and webinar tutorials.
On-site classes will also still be available.
A team of developers is now focused on CVE 2.6 and the company welcomes suggestions for improvements.
