For the vast majority of manufacturers, investing in the next generation of machinery is simply not an option at present. The available capital expenditure is currently being spent on improving the performance of existing assets.
For maximum benefit, the challenge is not simply to improve each machine at a local level, but to enhance the cohesive effort. This requires setting up proper links between the maintenance system - generally a computerised maintenance management system (CMMS), and wider planning systems, of which ERP is the most widespread example.
"Many companies struggle to keep their operations stable," says UK director of Rockwell Automation Global Manufacturing Solutions, Dominic Molloy. "They have a high degree of performance variation and have difficulty delivering against plan. Customer feedback, or their own experience, tells them that they have issues, but they have not reached the stage of implementation to address these problems systematically."
Starting with the maintenance of individual machines, a key measure of any kind of production process is OEE - overall equipment effectiveness. This is a measure of how close the process is to its theoretical maximum. The more downtime, slow running and poor quality is reduced, the higher the OEE score.
In factories that have more orders than they can reasonably address, extra machine availability or performance goes straight to the bottom line. Improving OEE thus gives an immediate and visible payback. Even companies that do not suffer these constraints will benefit greatly from the improved predictability of output, which will help them respond to orders faster and also to better manage machine availability
There are numerous ways in which Rockwell Automation, as a supplier of hardware, software, instrumentation, consultancy, analysis and engineering expertise, is helping companies get the best from their existing infrastructure. For instance, under the Reliability Online programme, Rockwell Automation Entek can carry out remote diagnosis for condition-based maintenance programmes. Alternatively, this monitoring can take place on the customer's premises, along with a full-time, qualified Rockwell Automation Engineer.
Whichever option the client selects, Rockwell Automation service agreements lay down the improvements that customers can expect from using its products and services - ensuring that both parties agree, at the outset, what the deliverables are going to be. The company's software tools have been designed and refined through application to allow clients to make the most of information about the condition of their productive assets by helping it to flow around the manufacturing enterprise. This leads to improved decision making, reduced costs and improved return on assets.
For more information contact Abraham Brooks, CSM Commercial Manager, Rockwell Automation, 011 654 9700, abrahambrooks@ra.rockwell.com
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