Configuring storage containers and locations

Independent containers are the actual elements that contain the lot(s) of material(s) that are used by

FactoryTalk Batch

in the execution of a recipe. A material storage container can be anything that either contains or acts as a location for lots of material (tank farm, vessel, or pallet). The containers can either be grouped within material storage locations for convenience or can remain as independent containers.

Each material storage location is an independent entity that represents the location of the containers where lots of materials are stored. Locations can contain a grouping of containers related to that location. Examples of locations are warehouses and plants. What is important about material storage locations is the knowledge of what lot(s) of material(s) reside in or on that particular location. If you make changes to the configuration in the plant, you have to open the area model, make the changes, save it and restart the server. By using storage locations, you can feed material from a location instead of an independent container. By moving the container from location to location in the material database, you will not need to modify the equipment database.