Implementation of an Industry 4.0 system to optimally manage chemical plant operation

Abstract The evolution of the process industry in the direction of automation and digitalization is nowadays a consolidated phenomenon. In this direction, Industry 4.0 paradigms are leading many industrial companies to significantly update their facilities. This paper presents a scheduling algorithm that takes the role of a real-time optimization (RTO) element in a larger project framework where the various network components are aimed to be all highly interconnected. The proposed methodology is applied to an Italian chemical industrial site, in order to best manage the production rates of the various products and the sales plan for the different clients. Numerous plants and processes are considered into the model: batch and continuous production lines, saleable and non-storable products. Concepts of linear optimization and batch operation scheduling are used in the algorithm construction. This whole structure lays the foundation for a full integration between different elements of the facility, that is, the control systems and the selling department.