In this two-part article, two manufacturers share their methods of integrating control and information to gain productivity improvements
With the multibillion-dollar, business-to-business e-commerce market working at Internet speed to fulfil product orders, it is crucial that production information passes rapidly from production software to enterprise-wide business applications.
This information flow, between 'shop floor' and 'top floor', not only keeps business managers well informed of their plant's production activities, it is the linchpin to staying competitive in today's wildly fluctuating global markets.
Manufacturers have long known that information from enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems is the foundation for a manufacturer's business processes. And though ERP systems vary by vendor, a typical system manages such diverse planning activities as bill of material handling, order entry, inventory control, purchasing, accounts payable and even human resources.
ERP's most crucial component is its database, from which plug-on modules extract data and replace it with new, updated data. Plants that want to integrate manufacturing control and information systems must link the ERP database to the control database via a transaction manager. In some cases, the control information transaction manager also extracts information from and writes information back to the ERP database, thus acting as a type of ERP module itself. Rockwell Software RSSql is one such transaction manager. The key is that RSSql is bi-directional, meaning it will move information to and from any SQL, Oracle or other ODBC-certified ERP database. Rockwell says that no other transaction manager has this bi-directional read/write capability.
The benefits of such integration efforts can be impressive. For example, when specialty chemical manufacturer Prosoco implemented an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix solution that integrated its production facility and ERP system, it achieved a 98% consistency rate. At the same time, Prosoco reduced its batch process time by a factor of three at its new compounding and blending facility. The new Prosoco control system relies on the Logix architecture to create direct links to enterprise resource planning software. The system allows for better tracking of chemical production status, increased production capacity and reduced downtime. Prosoco had been operating in the same facility for nearly 40 years, but in 1998 management decided to build a new plant to consolidate operations, prepare for new market opportunities and lower production costs. The company's executives determined they would work with leading factory automation provider Rockwell Automation and Mid America Consultants, Overland Park, Kan. to equip the new facility with the latest control system and information technology.
"It is rare to have the opportunity to start from scratch," said Bruce Boyer, Vice President of production for Prosoco. "We decided early on that we would choose our system carefully and ultimately pick one that would closely meet our needs today, but be built on technology with legs so we would have something to grow on into the future."
Prosoco production challenges
The chemical mixing batch process at Prosoco consists of a few basic steps. Product orders coming in from the sales force are compared to the raw materials available to determine the day's chemical-making schedule. Based on a pre-determined recipe, various acids and inert liquids are pumped from holding tanks into a batch vessel. The batch vessel sits on a large weigh scale used to determine when the vessel is at the target weight for each ingredient added. After adding all the ingredients, the full vessel goes through a 20 to 30-minute mixing cycle before a small amount is drawn out and tested for quality and consistency. If approved, the mix moves to a holding tank for packaging and shipment.
Although it is a straightforward process, upgrading chemical production at Prosoco posed a few challenges. First, the company wanted to reduce operator intervention on standard batch runs, while at the same time giving operators realtime access to production status in case mid-course corrections were required.
Second, the company wanted to improve its batch consistency to provide a more consistent product for consumers. Third, the company saw an opportunity to improve productivity by better comparing incoming orders with available raw material inventory and adjusting production schedules accordingly - clear benefit of integrating control and information.
The building process
With the help of Mid America Consultants, an experienced system integrator with familiarity in a wide range of control systems, Prosoco designed its plant. In the process, the two companies developed a new production system, which consists of four main components: ERP, control, operator interface and I/O.
The Fourth Shift ERP system tracks incoming orders and plans production based on current inventory levels. Each day, employees enter orders into the ERP system, which then determines an optimum production schedule for the day. The production information is downloaded via RSSql to an industrial computer running Rockwell Software RSView32 human machine interface software.
Operators on the plant floor review the production schedule and initiate the first product run by simply pressing a button on the screen. A computer installed at the batch vessels provides employees with realtime views on in-process runs. Instructions move directly between the ERP system, RSSql, RSView and the ControlLogix control system over an Ethernet network.
Prosoco chose ControlLogix for its capacity to perform multi-disciplinary control and because it is based on the Rockwell Automation Logix architecture. This means it uses the same control engine, networking and programming tools as other Rockwell Automation Logix platforms for improved flexibility and reduced training and maintenance costs. ControlLogix also has diagnostic modules that can notify plant operators when wires break, field power is lost or other system anomalies occur. The RSSql transaction manager software is the interface between the ControlLogix and Fourth Shift systems. RSSql provides the critical link between production and information by managing 'transactions' between the two systems. For example, when the ERP system determines a production schedule, it sends the schedule through RSSql to the controller. Likewise, when the control system pulls raw materials for a production run, it captures data on the amount used and sends it through RSSql back to the ERP system.
Prosoco's new control system has paid off. "We knew we would see quality and productivity gains, but this surpassed even our expectations," Boyer said. "And by integrating our control system with our ERP, we are able to concurrently monitor our process and stock levels."
The system also helped Prosoco react to changes in production requirements. A 35% increase in sales required only a minimum amount of production-related employee overtime to meet the new demand. Management can now keep better track of production status, and plant managers and maintenance personnel can remotely monitor and troubleshoot the system.
Rockwell Automation
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