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Equipment Requirements

Equipment requirements define which equipment is needed for each unit procedure in a recipe. They map each step of the production process to an equipment class and optionally to a preferred specific equipment unit, with a minimum cleanliness status constraint.

Equipment tab in recipe edit dialog

Concept​

In the ISA-88 model, a batch procedure is divided into unit procedures, each of which runs on a single equipment unit. The recipe's equipment requirements specify:

  • Which unit procedure needs equipment
  • Which equipment class is required (inherited from the unit procedure definition)
  • Which specific equipment unit is preferred (optional)
  • What minimum cleanliness status is required before production can start

Accessing equipment requirements​

  1. Navigate to the Recipe List
  2. Click the edit button on a Draft recipe
  3. Switch to the Equipment tab

Equipment requirements grid​

The DataGrid displays the following columns:

ColumnDescription
Unit ProcedureThe name of the unit procedure (bold text)
Required Equipment ClassThe equipment class required (blue chip), inherited from the unit procedure
Preferred EquipmentA specific equipment unit preferred for this recipe (chip), or --
Min Equipment StatusMinimum cleanliness level required (warning chip), or --
ActionsDelete button (only visible for Draft recipes)

Items are sorted by unit procedure name by default.

Adding an Equipment Requirement​

  1. Click Add Item above the equipment grid
  2. Select a Unit Procedure from the searchable dropdown (shows name and code)
  3. The dialog displays the equipment class associated with the selected unit procedure
  4. If the unit procedure has an equipment class, the Preferred Equipment dropdown is filtered to show only equipment belonging to that class
  5. Optionally select a Preferred Equipment unit
  6. Optionally select a Minimum Equipment Status from the dropdown
  7. Click Create to save

Add equipment requirement dialog

Equipment status levels​

The minimum equipment status defines the cleanliness requirement before production can begin. Statuses are ordered from least to most stringent:

StatusDescription
dirtyNo cleaning requirement (any state accepted)
cleanEquipment must have been cleaned
disinfectedEquipment must have been disinfected
sterileEquipment must be sterile
qc_okEquipment must have passed quality control verification
tip

When no minimum status is set, any equipment state is accepted. For food, pharmaceutical, or other regulated production, always specify the appropriate cleanliness level.

How equipment filtering works​

When you select a unit procedure in the add dialog:

  1. The unit procedure's required equipment class is displayed as informational text
  2. The Preferred Equipment dropdown automatically queries for equipment units that belong to that equipment class
  3. If the unit procedure has no equipment class assigned, the equipment dropdown is disabled

This cascading behavior ensures you can only select equipment that is compatible with the unit procedure's requirements.

Removing an Equipment Requirement​

  1. Click the delete button (red trash icon) on the requirement row
  2. Confirm the removal in the dialog (shows the unit procedure name and equipment class)
  3. The requirement is removed immediately
info

Only Draft recipes allow equipment requirement modifications. For non-draft recipes, the action buttons are hidden. To change equipment requirements on an approved recipe, create a new version.

Example equipment requirements​

For an "Orange Juice" recipe:

Unit ProcedureEquipment ClassPreferred EquipmentMin Status
Mixing ProcessMixing TankMixing Tank #3clean
PasteurizationPasteurizer--disinfected
FillingBottle FillerFiller Line 1qc_ok

Prerequisites​

Next steps​