Process Optimization and ImproveIt®
ImproveIt
® is the advanced tool for statistical analysis and compounding and formulation optimization.
ImproveIt brings together the disciplines of Statistical Design of Experiments, Response Surface Methodology, Multiple Regression,
Variance Partition Analysis, and Optimization to address the formulation problem. The key methodology that makes all the disciplines
work together to yield the best overall formulation is called Desirability. Desirability is the latest advance in optimization technology.
Desirablity
SynGenics has applied the concept of desirability for many years to factor market requirements and engineering information in the
optimization of compounds and analysis of technologies. Now SmartD Technology insures that the desirability function has a
derivative over the entire range of each property variable eliminating unnatural distortion of the solution hypersurface.
For the novice, no setup is required. For the expert user, there is great flexibility of function shape implemented by passing the curve
through user defined set points in property units. There are no hard-to-understand shape factors. Shown here is a Target desirability
function for a property variable Mod10%. The shape points are automatically placed in the center of the range as on the right side of
the curve, and can be moved when the practiced user has reason to reshape the curve, as shown on the left side.
Surface Plot
Once ImproveIt finds a solution, you can use its
3-dimensional graphics to gain insight into the relationships it searched to find the best formulation. Sometimes this can be the most
valuable part of the exercise, because you finally can see what the PC has been wrestling with in the realm of numbers!
ImproveIt incorporates the wisdom of the formulator in an easy-to-use, step-by-step approach. Several items have default values so the new user
can achieve success before deep knowledge is acquired. Of course, the more experience you already have, the more benefit
you will derive from using this application. Windows-based, ImproveIt is compatible with 95, 98, NT, 2000, and XP. All the
standard features, such as cut and paste, importing and exporting data, and linking to other documents are available in ImproveIt
