Laureate Pharma: Monitoring and Control of a “Wave Biotech” Wave Reactor

Laureate Pharma cultures cells for its customers using Models 200 and 1000 Wave Reactors, manufactured by Wave Biotech, Somerset, NJ. These reactors provide no remote interface capability. Laureate wanted to be able to monitor and control the reactors over their LAN. And, they wanted to be automatically notified via e-mail messages when any alarm situation occurred on the reactors. A 4-level system security capability, which requires user logins, was also required. The Wave Reactors are controlled internally by a Koyo 205 PLC.

The PAC SCADA Tool Kit, with its integrated Data Historian, was used as the platform for developing the LabVIEW based reactor monitoring and control software. The PAC SCADA Tool Kit provided almost all of the Laureate Pharma requirements. A custom interface program was required between the SCADA Tool Kit software and the KEP Direct OPC server. Custom screens (see the attached screen images) were developed to support basic control functions, alarms, reporting and configuration.

An OPC server program from KEP Direct served as the interface between the PLC and the LabVIEW based programs developed by PAC. The interface program used over 150 tags to communicate between the computer and the PLC via the OPC server.

Wave Reactor Background.

PLC Interface.

PLC Configuration.

Example screen for "rocking" the tray.