What : Provide a new technical solution for R&I experiment automation and automated data collection

Why :  No solution is available for experiment automation since WinsupLab has been decommissioned.Thus, new requests for new installations are blocked, particularly for 5 Novecare reactors

What if :

1. Current decrease of the overall productivity for Novecare Coatings
2. No support for current installed instrument
3. Labs will choose non standard solutions leading to no data structuration and unknown technologies & cybersecurity.

1st Reactor :  Study and build the new solution based on a first case :

Budget estimated , for the first reactor : 60K€, 5 sites roll out 2023 : 100K€

• Standardization
• Prevent shadow it
• Cybersecurity

No more possibilities to deploy Winsuplab solution for new reactor and associated experiment needs, and support to existing reactors will end soon. Winsuplab story here but main point to not be able to continue using Winsuplab

• Obsolete Visual Basic development environment (support , compatibility and security)
• In house development support only by one DT expert
• Development frozen : no more new feature
• Can stop working with a new security or patch update rollout
• Only in French

Currently Solvay is running 15 reactors for Coatings and Novecare techno centers.

- Automation, security, automated data collection from experiment for current and further data consumption.
- Use a uniform/standard tool in the different labs around the world (absolute must have AND corner stone of Lab Booster initiative). This initiative was in 2022 budget, but not implemented.

New solution to find and roll out what will replace Winsuplab for all connected reactors in Novecare in a first place, then for Solvay global.

Priority 1: 

• Korea, EWHA reactor for Datacoat (Application Lab Booster) - Novecare, 3 users
• Aubervilliers to be finished : 10 users

Priority 2:

• Bristol: 10 users
• Shanghai: 9 users
• Vadodara: 5 users

Priority 3: Novecare technocenter teams (13 users)

Value for R&I:

• Automatisation of experiments
• Embedded into Lab Booster initiative (harmonization of polymerization experiments)
• More security - automatic emergency stop, no need of human involvement
• Data collection from synthesis experiment - new data for more knowledge and understanding
• More precision - replace human read
• Less manual operations
• More traceability

=> Increase of the productivity -> Time saved (4 FTE/year) -> 0.9 M€

Value for DT: 

• Standardization of a solution to automate any kind of synthesis experiment that will replace Winsuplab and could be deployed for other reactors globally (potential in Materials…)
• Costs
• Cybersecurity: Data is stored in Solvay Network instead of paper

Business goal is to sell additives to customers.

To confirm the efficiency of Solvay’s products, researchers need to make trials using reactors. Currently, the amount of tests they can make is decreasing because some reactors are waiting for a replacement solution for Winsuplab. Thus, it decreases their capacity to test, so their ability to answer customers.

Replacement solution to Winsuplab = more operational reactors + more precise data
                                                              = more reactivity to answer customers + more quality in the data we share.

In addition, Lab Booster initiative aims at collecting harmonized data between different labs. Reactor digitalization is a key enabler.

• Several solution possibilities, need to study carefully the solution
• Make clear the split of work between R&I, sites, A&R and DT
• Timeline
• Find provider able to develop either Labview automation and recipes
• Find availability from R&I key stakeholders for book of specifications, testing & feedback
• Be able to provide support to users when in the RUN phase

• Labview programmation skills
• Synthesis skills (R&I) to explain the needs
• English language
• Network connection

Do you think if your initiative is compatible with a waterfall approachor with an agile approach?

• Agile model
• Waterfall model
• I do not know at this stage

Complete Architecture Impact Analysis (AIA)

ARB & AIA

Check you have confirmed the involvement of each platform

W&C: to be filled in to Accolade in preparation phase

TCO over 10Y: 

xxxx - Business Case/Financial evaluation 10Y

• No support on the current solution
• Solution is only in French
• Solution is not global
• Solution is not installed on new installation (decommissioned)

• Ability to manage the instruments overtime → set the parameters for different time duration (e.g. 50°C for 10 minutes then 65°C for 2h)
• Ability to save sequences of parameters in order to reuse them
• Automatic emergency stop for some instruments when dangerous conditions are reached → Automatic stop of heater if the temperature reaches 100°C
• Data structuration
• Data available on Solvay's network (able to access it from a personal computer)

• Security: no need to go in the lab if the reaction is too exothermic. The reaction stops on his own.
• Time saving: user will not need to come in the lab every ten minutes to check if the temperature is the good one, etc.
• Data quality: real data is measured and available. Without the solution, the user has to manually write the data all day long, so he cannot (lunch break, etc.)
• Comfort & mental health: it will reduce manual actions from the user, so he can schedule his day & lunch break without thinking about all the times he has to do a manual step

- Is the business ambition you will support improving or not sustainability?

- Will you increase or decrease the number of hardware we need to operate? How much ?

- Will you generate or transfer an important amount of data, especially videos? How much?