What are channels and splits for?
Where are channels and splits mapped and configured?
Machine type configurations
- Channel structure
- Including material consumption parameters in channels
Machine configurations
- Channels
- Splits

What are channels and splits for?

Your product is made out of (raw) materials. Mapping which and how much of each material is used for manufacturing the product is done by assigning in the product and job recipes the materials to channels and to a channel's splits.

Products that are the result of mixing multiple materials per a known formula will have multiple channels. For example, when manufacturing pharmaceutical capsules, the capsule shell's filling part could be assigned to one channel, the medicinal compound or micro beads it's filled with could be assigned to the second channel, and the capsule shell's closing part assigned to a third channel.

When a material is a complex material that's created by mixing multiple materials together, that material's channel will be divided to splits for each ingredient of the material formula. So continuing the capsule example, the medicinal compound will have a dedicated split for each ingredient.

Using Matics you can not only indicate the machine type's channels and splits, but also set at the machine-level operational policies and more, such as whether materials can be changed and when, validate materials, and configure material traceability.

Where are channels and splits mapped and configured?

Configuring channels and splits is done at both the machine type level and the machine level. The machine type level provides the common structure of channels and splits for all machines of this type. But at the machine level you can make changes in this structure for each machine: (1) add or remove channels and (2) add or remove splits. Also, at the machine level, you configure the policy for material validation and inventory traceability settings. If dosing systems are connected to machines, you specify this too at the machine level.

NOTE: Configurations and mappings at the machine-type level will impact the Product Recipe. Configurations and changes at the machine level will impact the Job Recipe of jobs assigned to that machine.

Machine Type configurations

Channel structure

In the Machine Type > Channels tab you perform the basic setup of channels and splits: each machine type record has an initial set of defaults (see below), which you will change to reflect the machine type's channels and splits at your site. You can add channels, remove channels, and set the correct number of splits for each channel:

Go to Setup > Site Configuration > 5 (Step 5 - Define Machine Types).
Click the index of the target machine type.
Click its Channels tab.
Change the default channels' values as needed. Descriptions of each of these parameters are provided in the next step.
If needed, add channels:
1. Click Add. A new row is added to the Channels table.
2. In the Channel column enter a value that meets the numeric identifier standard:
  1. If it's a channel designed for materials that are calculated by weight percent as a percentage of the total cycle weight, use any number that's not yet in use from 1 to 99.
    This number not only determines the type of channel, but also determines its ordinal positioning relative to other channels in the recipe form.
  2. If its a material that's consumed by unit (partial or whole) rather than by weight, use the identifier "100".
3. In the Splits Count column specify the number of splits, if applicable.
4. In the Name column enter a descriptive name in the local language.
5. In the English Name column enter a descriptive name in English.
6. Select the In Gantt check box to present the channel's materials' data in the list of columns that can be shown to the left of the Gantt. All the channel's parameters are added to that list, and the information of which channel and split the channel data applies to is provided in square brackets.
  For example Material ID [2 , 1] shows the Material ID data for channel 2, split 1.
7. Select the In Recipe Matrix check box to present this channel in the recipe form.
Save changes.
If needed, remove channels. Select the row's check box then click the delete icon and save changes.

Including material consumption parameters in channels

To set which material-consumption columns are included in each channel you will use the Machine Type > General Details Editor tab:

In the machine type's form (see steps 1 & 2 above) click the General Details Editor tab.
Select the target channel in the Channel drop-down list, which will then display on the right the Param box.
Click within that box to present the drop-down list for adding parameters, or click the x of chosen parameters in that box to remove them from the channel.
Save.

NOTE: Channel columns set here are related to batch consumption and apply only to the job recipes in the Web app and Operator app, not to product recipes. Product recipe channel columns are based on machine-type properties configurations.

Where the Channel list and its Param box are located in the General Details Editor

Machine configurations

Channels

Go to Setup > Site Configuration > 5 (Step 5 - Define Machine Types).
Click the index of the target machine type and then click its Machines tab.
Click the index of the target machine and then click its Channels tab.
If needed, add channels by clicking the Add control.
Set or change the channel's fields' values. These settings are detailed in the following table.
Save changes.
If needed, remove channels by selecting the row's check box, clicking the delete icon and saving changes.

Channel	Enter a value that meets the numeric identifier standard: If it's a channel designed for materials calculated by weight percent as a percentage of the total cycle weight, use any number that's not yet in use from 1 to 99. This number not only determines the type of channel, but also determines its ordinal positioning relative to other channels in the recipe form. If its a material that's consumed by unit (partial or whole) rather than by weight, use the identifier "`100`". NOTE: There should be only one, single channel 100. If you have multiple materials of this type, they will be entered in the channel's splits.
Splits Count	Specify the number of splits in this channel. If the channel is based on a single raw material input, leave this field blank as there's no need to provide another level of resolution in the channel.
Name	Enter a descriptive name for the channel in the local language.
English Name	Enter a descriptive name for the channel in English.
Dosing System	If the channel's source of material is a dosing system, specify to which dosing system the channel is connected to.
Recipe Validation	Enforce validating that the channel's materials indeed total to 100% by selecting the 'Deny and alert' option. This will prevent saving faulty recipes for all jobs--including inactive jobs. For more context on recipe validation, see Setting the recipe validation policy. NOTE: Recipe validation doesn't apply to channel 100.
In Recipe Matrix	Not in use.
Batch Tracking	To enable tracking inventory (batch traceability), this check box must be selected. NOTE: A prerequisite for batch tracking is including the machine type `MaterialBatch` property in the recipe.
Allow Change Material	Determine for which type of jobs users can make changes to the recipe's specified raw materials: 'None' - The option of changing a specified material is blocked. 'Only on Pending Job' - Changing a recipe's raw materials is only possible for pending jobs (status 03, status 11). 'Only on Active Job' - Changing a recipe's raw materials is only possible for running jobs (status 10). 'Both' - Users can change the recipe's raw materials for both pending and active jobs.
Allow Change Batch	Determine for which type of jobs users can make changes to the recipe's specified batch: 'None' - The option of changing a specified batch is blocked. 'Only on Pending Job' - Changing a recipe's batch ID is only possible for pending jobs (status 03, status 11). 'Only on Active Job' - Changing a recipe's batch ID is only possible for running jobs (status 10). 'Both' - Users can change the recipe's materials' batch IDs for both pending and active jobs.
Allow Change Material %	Determine for which type of jobs users can make changes to the recipe's specified raw materials' percentage in the channel/split: 'None' - The option of changing the material percentage is blocked. 'Only on Pending Job' - Changing a recipe's raw materials' percentage is only possible for pending jobs. 'Only on Active Job' - Changing a recipe's raw materials' percentage is only possible for running jobs. 'Both' - Users can change the recipe's raw materials' percentage in both pending and active jobs.
Require Batch Before Job Activation	When Batch Tracking is enabled, set here whether a job can be activated if there are no batches set in the job recipe. If this check box is selected, the job cannot be activated when the job recipe does not include any material batch.
Working With Inventory Locations	Not in use.
Recipe VS Location	Not in use.
Check If Total Material PC Is 100%	When enabled, the job cannot be activated unless the combined percentages of materials in all the recipe's active channels--excluding channel 100--total to 100%.
Check if there is older batch	Applies the FIFO principle to enforce using the oldest inventory. The job cannot be activated unless it uses the oldest available batch.
Check Batch Amount vs. Job Recipe Amount	Enables validating that the actual batch weight corresponds to the batch weight set for the job's recipe. NOTE: A prerequisite for this validation is including the machine type `MaterialBatchAmount` property in the recipe, since the value listed for this property (within the upper and lower limits set in the following fields) is used for the comparison.
Check Batch Amount - Low Limit (%)	When Check Batch Amount vs. Job Recipe Amount is active set the lower tolerance percentage for validation. For example, if the actual amount is at least 90% of the recipe's set amount, the validation will pass.
Check Batch Amount - High Limit (%)	When validating batch amount is enabled, set the upper tolerance percentage for validation. For example, if the actual amount is 110% or below of the recipe's set amount, the validation will pass.
Search Batch By Material	If active, instead of searching for the batch using its full barcode, the search will use that part of the material barcode entered in the job's recipe. It enables a search mechanism that can use less data to match the material listed in the inventory to the material entered in the recipe, when saving or activating a job.
Allow Using Material Subst.	Enable using substitute materials. If substitute materials were set for the initial material, users will be able to select them when needed.
Different Splits Definition	Select this check box when you have validations at the splits level in the Channels Splits tab that were configured differently then those configured at the Channels level. If this check box is cleared, split-level validations for this channel will be ignored.
In Op App?	Set whether this channel is visible in the recipe presented in the Operator app, or not.

Splits

Click the machine's Channels Splits tab.
If needed, add splits by clicking the Add control.
Set or change the split's fields' values. These settings are detailed in the following table.
Save changes.
If needed, remove splits by selecting the row's check box, clicking the delete icon and saving changes.

Channel	Filter to display only splits of a specific channel, or select all to display the splits of all channels.
Split	Enter a number to identify the split and to determine the split's ordinal positioning relative to other splits in the channel.
Name	Enter a descriptive name for the split in the local language.
English Name	Enter a descriptive name for the split in English.
Batch Tracking	To enable tracking inventory (batch traceability), this check box must be selected.
Allow Change Material	Determine for which type of jobs users can make changes to the recipe's specified raw materials: 'None' - The option of changing a specified material is blocked. 'Only on Pending Job' - Changing a recipe's raw materials is only possible for pending jobs (status 03, status 11). 'Only on Active Job' - Changing a recipe's raw materials is only possible for running jobs (status 10). 'Both' - Users can change the recipe's raw materials for both pending and active jobs.
Allow Change Batch	Determine for which type of jobs users can make changes to the recipe's specified batch: 'None' - The option of changing a specified batch is blocked. 'Only on Pending Job' - Changing a recipe's batch ID is only possible for pending jobs (status 03, status 11). 'Only on Active Job' - Changing a recipe's batch ID is only possible for running jobs (status 10). 'Both' - Users can change the recipe's materials' batch IDs for both pending and active jobs.
Allow Change Material %	Determine for which type of jobs users can make changes to the recipe's specified raw materials' percentage in the channel's split: 'None' - The option of changing the material percentage is blocked. 'Only on Pending Job' - Changing a recipe's raw materials' percentage is only possible for pending jobs. 'Only on Active Job' - Changing a recipe's raw materials' percentage is only possible for running jobs. 'Both' - Users can change the recipe's raw materials' percentage in both pending and active jobs.
Require Batch Before Job Activation	If this check box is selected, the job cannot be activated when the job recipe does not include any material batch.
Working With Inventory Locations	Not in use.
Recipe VS Location	Not in use.
Check if there is older batch	Applies the FIFO principle to enforce using the oldest inventory. The job cannot be activated unless it uses the oldest available batch.
Check Batch Amount vs. Job Recipe Amount	Enables validating that the actual batch weight corresponds to the batch weight set for the job's recipe.
Check Batch Amount - Low Limit (%)	When Check Batch Amount vs. Job Recipe Amount is active set the lower tolerance percentage for validation. For example, if the actual amount is at least 90% of the recipe's set amount, the validation will pass.
Check Batch Amount - High Limit (%)	When validating batch amount is enabled, set the upper tolerance percentage for validation. For example, if the actual amount is 110% or below of the recipe's set amount, the validation will pass.
Search Batch By Material	If active, instead of searching for the batch using its full barcode, the search will use that part of the material barcode entered in the job's recipe. It enables a search mechanism that can use less data to match the material listed in the inventory to the material entered in the recipe, when saving or activating a job.
Allow Using Material Subst.	Enable using substitute materials. If substitute materials were set for the initial material, users will be able to select them when needed.

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