Jordans Cereals, producer of a wide range of cereals and snack foods, has seen a dramatic improvement in productivity on its main packing line with the installation of a plant monitoring system based on Rockwell Software RSBizWare.
Two years ago, Jordans Cereals refurbished a number of packaging machines in one of its three production lines. After the line returned to full production, overall equipment efficiency (OEE) scores were disappointing. Jordans was already using Rockwell Automation hardware and software in its manufacturing facility, and was aware of the significant productivity improvements Rockwell Software's RSBizWare suite of tools could bring.
As a result, the company brought in VisDa Technology, which specialises in improving total packaging line efficiency through the design and application of electronic controls, production monitoring and diagnostic systems.
VisDA Technology carried out a one-week audit on Jordans' main production line, with machinery downtimes and efficiencies monitored manually. Discussions with personnel and involvement in the Daily Operational Meetings revealed working practices and other factors that affected line efficiency. A detailed report was produced advising where improvements could be made.
One recommendation was to install a VisFaM (visual factory monitoring) system developed by VisDA Technology, based on Rockwell Software RSBizWare, to automatically monitor machines and provide realtime operational information. At the same time, OEE consultants would provide operator training and review working practices.
The VisFaM system runs on a separate server connected to the plant floor network by a fibre-optic Ethernet link. VisFaM uses Rockwell Software RSBizWare RSSQL, a powerful transaction manager, to gather data automatically from the five PLCs and the RSView32 scada software. RSSql links time-based and relational databases to seamlessly integrate data from a number of sources.
Details of machine stoppages, alarms and product throughputs, plus machine and line efficiencies, are recorded. With specific shift details input to the software, reports for individual shifts can be produced and performances compared. The data is analysed using RSBizWare PlantMetrics, a powerful yet simple set of tools to analyse the performance of production assets and produce usable reports. These can be made available through a manufacturer's ERP system, printed as hard copy reports or viewed remotely via a standard Web browser.
To provide information about individual product runs, an automatic product selection option was installed. Through the company intranet, realtime reports can be viewed by operational managers, enabling problems to be highlighted and resolved in time to improve the efficiency of the shift on which they occurred. With operators' increased knowledge of efficiencies and line operation requirements, the automatic reports were used in the Daily Operational Meetings. This in turn led to the installation of a large display screen on the factory floor, allowing reports to be viewed and realtime information made available to the machine operators. This led to considerable motivation and improvements in line efficiency.
For more information contact Rudolf Van Wyk, Software Capability Manager, Rockwell Automation, 011 654 9700, [email protected], www.ra.rockwell.com
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