Equipment Module

An Equipment Module groups related Engineering Items into a reusable functional unit. Equipment Modules use a template-based system where you define a template with item slots, then create multiple configurations that assign different physical components to those slots.

💡 In pharmaceutical terms: An Equipment Module represents a group of Engineering Items that always work together — such as a tank inlet assembly (inlet valve + vent valve + pressure transmitter), a CIP supply manifold, or a transfer path between vessels. By grouping them, you can write your process logic once and reuse it across multiple physical configurations.

🧩 Core Concepts

Template System

The Equipment Module system has three layers:

How It Works

1. Create a Template — define the item slots (e.g., "Inlet Valve", "Outlet Valve", "Drain Valve")

2. Create Configurations — name each configuration (e.g., "Transfer to Tank 1", "Transfer to Tank 2")

3. Assign Items — for each configuration, pick which actual Engineering Item from the P&ID fills each slot

✅ The key benefit: Process logic references item slots by name (e.g., "Inlet Valve = Open") rather than specific item names, making the logic reusable across configurations.

📋 Properties

Equipment Module

Configuration Template

Configuration

Configuration Item

📖 How To: Create an Equipment Module

Method 1: Create from Selection (Interactive)

The fastest way to create one or more Equipment Modules, driven directly by a P&ID selection. The Create Equipment Module command opens an interactive review window where you can fine-tune templates, item names, and check names before anything is committed to the project.

Workflow

1. Select the Engineering Items on the P&ID that belong together (valves, instruments, sources — any mix works).

2. Run the Create Equipment Module command (from the Equipment Module Ribbon or by typing ASEPTSOFTCreateEquipmentModule). If no selection is active, the command prompts you to pick entities in the drawing.

3. Review the proposed EM in the window that opens:

   • The Equipment Module gets an auto-generated name (e.g. Equipment Module 1) which is pre-selected in the editable name box at the top. Just start typing to rename it.

   • A new Configuration Template is pre-proposed with one item per selected valve, item names matching valve names.

   • Each valve-to-item link is shown in the grid and can be re-mapped via the dropdown.

4. Optionally add more Equipment Modules in the same session by clicking ➕ Add another EM. The window hides, AutoCAD prompts for a fresh selection, and the window reopens with the new EM added — preserving all your choices on the first EM.

5. Confirm by clicking 🧩 Create (or pressing Enter while the name box has focus). All selected EMs are created at once; the Equipment Modules ribbon gallery refreshes immediately so the new modules are available.

Per-EM adjustments in the window

💡 Zero-click path: After selection, if you are happy with the default name, template, and 1:1 valve→item mapping, simply press Enter to create the Equipment Module immediately. Press Esc at any time to cancel without creating anything.

Method 2: Manual Creation in Module Data

1. Open Module Data — Navigate to the Data panel in the Module Ribbon.

2. Go to the Equipment Modules tab — Select the Equipment Modules section.

3. Create a new Equipment Module — Click "Create new" and name it.

4. Define item slots — Add slots to the configuration template (e.g., "Inlet Valve", "Outlet Valve").

5. Create configurations — Add named configurations (e.g., "Tank 1 Path", "Tank 2 Path").

6. Assign items — For each configuration, pick which actual Engineering Item from the P&ID fills each slot.

Method 3: Bulk Import from Excel

For importing many Equipment Modules at once from an Excel workbook, see Import Equipment Modules from Excel. The same review window is used, with an additional Excel-driven data column for State values.

🛡️ Valve Exclusivity

Each valve can belong to at most one Equipment Module across the entire project. This rule is enforced consistently across all creation and import methods:

ℹ️ To move a valve between EMs: first remove it from its current EM (via Module Data or the Remove Item action on the Equipment Module ribbon), then add it to the target EM.

🎨 Equipment Module Highlighting

When an Equipment Module is active or selected, its components can be highlighted on the P&ID drawing. The highlighting uses the Equipment Module's color and automatically colors the grouped items.

The EM Ribbon provides controls for:

• Selecting which Equipment Module to highlight

• Toggling highlighting on/off

• Managing Equipment Module configurations

🏭 Example: Tank Inlet Module (Pharma)

A typical pharmaceutical tank inlet module groups the Engineering Items at the top of a process vessel:

Template: "Tank Inlet Module"

Configurations

With this setup, a process step can reference "Inlet Valve = Open" and it will automatically apply to the correct physical item (XV-101, XV-201, or XV-301) depending on which configuration is active.

🏭 Example: CIP Supply Manifold

🛠️ Common Operations

🔗 Related Pages

• 📋 Module Data — All module data types

• EM Ribbon — Equipment Module ribbon controls

• Engineering Item — Individual components that fill template slots

• Import Equipment Modules from Excel — bulk import workflow

• 🧠 Algorithm Design — Using Equipment Modules in condition logic

• 📐 Process Design — Using Equipment Module configurations in process steps