Historically batch control systems were designed individually to match a specific arrangement of plant equipment. They lacked the ability to convert to new products without having to modify the control systems, and did not lend themselves to integration with manufacturing management systems. Practical Batch Management Systems explains how to utilize the building blocks and arrange the structures of modern batch management systems to produce flexible schemes suitable for automated batch management, with the capability to be reconfigured to use the same plant equipment in different combinations. It introduces current best practice in the automation of batch processes, including the drive for integration with MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) products from major IT vendors. References and examples are drawn from DCS / PLC batch control products currently on the market.

Mike is an accomplished engineer and well known consultant in Southern Africa who has worked in the instrumentation and control world for most of his professional life. He commenced his career in the writing and installation of real time software ranging from Fortran CAD to SCADA systems. He has also worked as an editor of a well known Instrumentation and Control magazine and built it into the leading magazine of its class. Mike recently led a team that designed and engineered a large batch management and control system for a multimillion dollar blue-chip consumer products plant and this has now been successfully running for 12 months. He is an entertaining and knowledgeable instructor with an interest in applying practical proven techniques to problems facing today's engineers and technicians working in this area of expertise. He has presented extensively on IDC Technologies range of Batch Management courses. Jawahar’s focus over the past few years has been in the project planning, engineering and commissioning of process control systems and instrumentation systems for two 1 Mtpa cement plants from conceptual stage to production. His experience has extended to installation of instrumentation to programming and configuration of the PLC’s and distributed control systems. He has collaborated in the writing of a number of the IDC Technologies books with solid expertise in Motion Control, alarm management, SCADA systems and latterly Distributed Control Systems.