There are four built-in types of auxiliary equipment that SuperPro Designer users can employ in their process models:
1. CIP Skids
2. SIP Panels
3. Transfer Panels
4. Vacuum Pumps
Each type has its own set of properties and plays a specific role in the operation that it is attached. Since the interaction with the operation is predictable, any auxiliary built-in type equipment created can be in ‘Design Mode’ whereby its utilization by the operations will determine its size, or it can be in ‘Rating Mode’ whereby its size is set, and the simulation engine will complain if its utilization exceeds its size limitation. For more details see also Auxiliary Equipment.
In order to be able to account for many auxiliary equipment that can be engaged in a processing model, users are allowed to create their own, user-defined auxiliary equipment types. To define a new auxiliary equipment type select the Databanks } Auxiliary Equipment Types... menu item from the main menu (or hit Ctrl+Shift+F5 as a shortcut). This will bring up the Auxiliary Equipment Types Databank dialog that presents all the types currently defined in your ‘User’ database and allows you to create a new type. Click on the 
button and you will be presented with the Auxiliary Equipment Type Definition Dialog that allows you define a new auxiliary equipment type. Once the type has been introduced in the ‘SuperPro (User)’ database, you can now create specific instances of such equipment. Select Tasks } Other Resources } Auxiliary Equipment... from the application’s main menu. You will be presented with the Auxiliary Equipment Properties Dialog.
Specific instances of auxiliary equipment can be associated with specific operations through their i/o simulation dialogs. The specific interface can be one of three options:
If the auxiliary equipment is of the built-in type, then the controls will be located:
- On the ‘Oper.Conds’ tab (for CIP skids, SIP panels and Vacuum Pumps on operations that determine their own operating pressure).
- On the ‘Emissions’ tab (Vacuum Pumps for operations that are do emission calculations and are hosted by equipment that has a vent port, see “Vessel Operations: Vent/Emissions Tab,” and “Reaction Operations: Vent/Emissions Tab.”)
- On the ‘Labor, etc.’ tab (Transfer Panels for any operations that involves some material transfer in or out of the host vessel, see Operations Dialog: Labor etc. Tab)
If the auxiliary equipment is of user-defined type, then the engagement is always done from the ‘Labor, etc.’ tab of the operation (see Operations Dialog: Labor etc. Tab).
The auxiliary equipment types present in the ‘SuperPro (User)’ database, are considered as belonging to three categories:
a) Basic Aux Equipment Types
b) Essential Aux Equipment Types
c) User-Defined Aux Equipment Types
All aux equipment types that are present in the ‘SuperPro (User)’ database upon installation of the program are considered as ‘Basic’. You are free to edit and/or even delete them if you think you will never have a need for some of them. If you have modified the properties of a basic aux equipment type, saved it in your ‘SuperPro (User)’ database and later you change your mind and decide to revert to the property values as they came (‘out-of-the-box’) you can accomplish this by clicking on the 
button. Also, if you have deleted one or more aux equipment types and later you wish to recover (restore) their definitions in your ‘SuperPro (User)’ database, you can click on the 
button There are just four aux equipment types (“CIP Skid”, “SIP Panel”, “Transfer Panel” and “Vacuum Pump”) that are considered “Essential” and cannot be deleted. The proper functioning of some operations in the software require their presence and they are created as soon as the operation that requires them is created and for that reason, their definition must exist in the ‘SuperPro (User)’ database. Finally, “User-Defined” aux equipment types are all aux equipment types that the user has introduced beyond the set of basic aux equipment types that came with the software. Of course, user-defined aux equipment types can be edited and deleted at any time but once deleted they cannot later be recovered.