Process (technology)
According to DIN IEC 60050 -351, a process is defined as
"Totality of interacting processes in a system through which matter, energy or information is transformed, transported or stored"
A technical process is that
"Totality of the processes in a technical system"
One distinguishes
- Procedural processes
- Manufacturing processes
- Distribution processes
- Measurement and testing processes
and
- continuous processes (examples: oil refining or power generation )
- discontinuous processes (examples: drug production or coffee roasting )
According to ISO 12207 , a process is “a set of interrelated means and activities that transform inputs into results. Processes are often broken down into sub-processes ".
Process components
Processes are often viewed as a “black box” , with an entrance and an exit . Processing takes place in the box ( EVA principle ). Goals are defined for the process and measured as individual parameters (as the difference between input and output). An actuator controls and regulates the processing according to defined rules depending on the target deviation.
- entrance
- Raw materials related to the process, input states
- processing
- Defined sub-steps that each cause a preliminary stage of the initial result.
- output
- End products related to the process, initial states
- aims
- Requirements relating to the process, which can be subdivided into the named process components.
- parameter
- Ways by the impact can be made to the process.
- See also : parameters
- Taxes and rules
- Processes with which the processing can be controlled in such a way that the stability of the processing or the process goal can be optimally achieved. See also : control technology , control technology
Examples
production
When producing a glass, raw materials / ingredients are required as input . These are processed through defined processing steps and by supplying energy to the end product , which should be subject to defined requirements . The goals could be to manufacture the glass as environmentally friendly, high quality and inexpensive as possible. Parameters could be the duration of the processing, the mixing ratio of the raw / starting materials as well as the type and amount of energy input. These parameters are regulated and controllable.
Embedded Systems
From the perspective of an embedded system , the technical process communicates with sensors (recognizing the environment) and actuators (changing the environment) with its environment.
Efficient process description
In order to arrive at a description of a process efficiently, it often helps to describe the outcome or the expected result of a process as precisely as possible. As a result, the most important processing steps / stations up to the process entry are defined and then refined.
literature
- German Institute for Standardization e. V (Ed.): DIN IEC 60050-351 International Electrotechnical Dictionary Part 351: Control technology (IEC 60050-351: 2006) . Beuth, Berlin June 2009 ( DKE-IEV German online edition of the IEV ).
- DIN 69 901-2 project management - project management systems - part 2: processes, process model