Device and method for the analysis of a changing industrial process

A method for automatically characterizing a process for manufacturing an industrial compound, wherein a plurality of technical data relating to the process state and/or a process material and/or a process performance is available, comprising the steps of:

• a) measuring, on an object manufacturing line of one characterization, using measurement means, a plurality of data relating to a plurality of parameters related to the process state and/or a process material and/or a process performance;
• b) receiving, by means of an interface module of an automatic characterization device, said data;
• c) receiving, by means of an interface module of an automatic characterization device, at least one of the parameters as an target improvement of the manufacturing method;
• d) receiving, by means of an interface module of an automatic characterization device, a process optimization function;
• e) performing, by means of a computational grid comprising a plurality of processors, for a period which is determined by a calculation end criterion, a first characterization phase of the relevant manufacturing method in order to achieve characteristics of potential manufacturing windows;
• f) based on the characteristics of the best manufacturing windows obtained in the first characterization phase of the relevant manufacturing method related to the received optimization function, determining, by means of a window selection threshold determination module of an automatic characterization device, a manufacturing window selection threshold;
• g) performing, by means of a computational grid, a second characterization phase of the relevant manufacturing method in order to achieve parameter combinations for manufacturing windows located within the limits of the established threshold;
• h) distributing, by means of a clustering module of an automatic characterization device, the parameter combinations among several combination clusters;
• i) checking, by means of a convergence module of an automatic characterization device, the convergence rate between clusters according to a target rate;
• j) if the target rate has not been reached, the method continues to step “g”;
• k) if the target rate has been reached, obtaining the variation ranges of the manufacturing window parameters of the relevant manufacturing method which meet the convergence criterion.