Manufacturing, integration, execution and intelligence: Part 2 – MES and EMI; which one is for you

June 2010 IT in Manufacturing

Manufacturing integration, execution and intelligence is a large topic addressing some complex issues. In part 1 we looked at the importance of shop floor to top floor integration and what it involves. In this part 2, we examine the roles of MES and EMI. MES (manufacturing execution systems) and EMI (enterprise manufacturing intelligence) have been with us for some time but many people have unanswered questions as to what they actually do, what is the difference between them and what they have to offer specific industries.

Manufacturing execution systems

20 years ago, when the term MES was coined, the manufacturing operations landscape was in turmoil. The operations processes between industries were so vastly different that it prevented the same kind of standardisation that existed in ERP. Hence, the need arose for standards-based manufacturing execution systems.

Since then, MES has evolved into a relatively mature ‘group of applications’ guided by ISA-95 standards and designed to manage production workflow from beginning to end, operation by operation. From generating electronic work instructions for operators, to ensuring that the right materials are available, to communicating set-point instructions to shop floor systems, while at the same time recording actual outputs measured against quality, cycle time and throughput. As MES evolved further, so did capabilities like full product genealogy (including product tracking) and maintaining an ‘as built’ bill of materials (BOM).

MES became the control link between the top floor and the shop floor. Due to its complexity and extensive functionality which reaches virtually all the corners of the organisation, MES is rather like a large jigsaw puzzle. It is easier to confront when put together a few pieces at a time, and successful implementation requires certainty that new pieces will fit the existing puzzle precisely when required. Because of this many companies have been reluctant to implement MES solutions as they could not map their needs to the available functionality. Enter the EMI solution.

Enterprise manufacturing intelligence

EMI is a term which applies to software used to bring a company’s manufacturing-related data together from many (and often disparate) sources and possibly across many plants for the purposes of creating context, generating reports, doing analyses, providing visual summaries and passing data between enterprise-level and plant-floor systems.

As data are combined from multiple sources, they can be given a new structure or context that will help users find what they need regardless of where it came from. The primary goal of this concept is to turn large amounts of manufacturing data into actionable knowledge that will help achieve the desired business results.

The diversity of plant operations in the mining and manufacturing industries will continue to challenge many companies and solution providers. While MES provides the necessary control over synchronising production with business requirements, EMI collates information from a variety of sources to provide the contextualised knowledge or actionable intelligence about the enterprise that is vital to decision-making at all levels.

So, while MES may remain the central anchor in the operations value chain for a large proportion of manufacturing, mining and processing operations, EMI technologies can provide new tools to assist with operational challenges.

To find out more about the differences between MES and EMI in order to help determine whether the full range of MES functionality is required, or if near real-time visibility into operations through an EMI solution is sufficient read the full second article in this series at http://instrumentation.co.za/+C13863A

For more information contact Ugan Maistry, EOH Mining and Manufacturing, +27 (0)11 607 8142, [email protected], www.eoh.co.za

Further reading:

Even in autonomous systems, human insight is important
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As AI, IIoT and digital twins reshape industrial operations, Schneider Electric’s Kobus Vermeulen and Bafana Msibi argue that the operator’s role is shifting from controlling equipment to interpreting intelligence, validating AI recommendations and making decisions that improve

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AI-based quality inspection scales across P&G operations
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Siemens and Procter & Gamble are expanding an AI-based visual inspection system across P&G’s manufacturing operations worldwide, inspecting products in real time at full line speed, and reducing scrap rates by 10 to 20% depending on the product.

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How sustainability unlocks real business impact
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Sustainability has moved from a compliance obligation to a strategic driver of resilience and value for manufacturers. Rockwell Automation explains how its Triple A framework and connected-data approach help producers cut energy, water and waste while improving productivity.

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Mining’s AI future will depend on people as well as technology
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South Africa’s mining industry is embracing digitalisation and AI, but AvenirHoldings chief executive officer, Tshidi Mndzebele says the real test is whether the people behind the industry are equipped to move forward with it, and outlines five things mining needs to get right.

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How BIC overcame operational silos to integrate technology and people
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Manufacturing giant BIC deployed Plex MES from Rockwell Automation at its Bizerte plant in Tunisia, replacing fragmented, partly in-house software with a single cloud-based execution system that broke operational silos and improved shop-floor visibility.

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AI in industry is an early warning system, not a guarantee
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Schneider Electric’s Paul Steyn argues that AI in industrial maintenance is only as good as the infrastructure and people behind it, and explains the three layers a facility needs before predictive maintenance can deliver on its promise.

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SA’s mining industry must put people at the heart of its digital future
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South Africa’s mining industry employs around 470 000 people while its digital transition accelerates. Avenir’s chief executive officer, Tshidi Mndzebele argues that technology should enable and upskill the workforce rather than replace it, setting out five ways mining can make technology work for its people.

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Quality control supports efficient tissue production
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Valmet’s advanced quality control technology is helping tissue producers improve product consistency while reducing energy and raw material consumption. Its latest installation at KORO Paper in Vietnam combines real-time measurement, process optimisation and non-contact, nuclear-free quality control.

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Patented algorithm maximises operator efficiency
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Rockwell Automation piloted a patented anomaly detection algorithm and FactoryTalk DataMosaix at its Twinsburg electronics plant, giving operators 30 to 60 days’ advance warning of stencil failure, improving fail rates by 22% and achieving a 200% return on investment.

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Cybersecurity must become part of the next era of industrial automation
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The EU’s Cyber Resilience Act is setting a global benchmark for connected products, making cybersecurity a core engineering requirement in industrial automation. Adroit Technologies and Mitsubishi Electric explain how building security into controllers, PLCs and drives from the outset helps South African manufacturers protect production and meet international expectations.

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