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Epic Data Production Control Tower: Providing visibility and control in the Digital Factory

Epic Data Whitepaper Series

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

PCTtoStructure,MonitorandControlyourProduction 2

InformationtoActUponforEfficientandProfitableManufacturing 3

EnergyManagementVisibilityforLowerCostsandReducedEmissions 4

Expertisebringstogetherdatacollection,productionplanningand

ERPinEpicDataPCT 5

AbouttheAuthor 6

AboutEpicData 6

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A manufacturer’s production control room is where all value-chain data comes together. The plans and bills of materials generated in the ERP system, the process rules and quality standards developed in engineering, the data collected from the shop floor as well as the machinery and energy sources used in production. They all come together in the control room where instructions are delivered, production status and energy usage is monitored, deviations and inefficiencies are flagged for attention, and corrective control taken.

The‘controlroom’ofthepastusedtocontainawhiteboardwherecustomerorderswereassignedworkorders,acomputerterminalwhereshoptravelerswereprintedouttoprovideworkinstructionsandtrackproductiondata,andatelephonetotalkoverchangerequestsandproductionissues.

Asmanufacturingandenergymanagementhavebecomemoreautomatedandmanufacturingexecutionsystemsmoresophisticated,sohavethecontrolroomsthatsupportthem.Theeraofthedigitalfactorybringsaproductioncontrolroomwithwallsofdisplaysofferingvisualizationofshop-flooractivitiesandenergyconsumptionpatterns,computersinterconnectedwithinternalandsupplychainERP/MOMsystems,andpowerfuldataprocessingcapabilitiestosynchronizeandanalyzethedata.Asthedigitalfactorybecomesmoreinstrumented,interconnectedandautomated,awell-designedproductioncontrolroommayseparatethebest-in-classmanufacturersfromtherest.

EpicDatacallsitsstate-of-the-artcontrolroomthe‘ProductionControlTower’.FromtheProductionControlTower(PCT),operationsmanagerscanoverseeproduction,lookahead,andreacttoissuesthatarisetokeepproductionrunningsmoothly.Processengineerscanmonitorpowerquality,energyproductionandconsumption,andcarbonemissionsfromproductionequipmentandenergysources.It’slikehavingabirds-eyeofeverythingthatimpactstheproductionscheduleandproductquality.

Real-time Visibility and Information Sharing Across the Enterprise

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Let’slookattheelementsrequiredforaneffectiveProductionControlTowerimplementation.

PCT to Structure, Monitor and Control your Production

Firstandforemost,aneffectiveProductionControlTower’sdesignisareflectionofthecompany’sstrategicgoalsandmajorinitiatives.Theinformationdisplayedandthecontrolactionsenabledshouldallowmanagerstomonitorandimproveuponthecompany’skeyperformanceindicatorsforstrategicinitiativesincluding:employeesafety,productivityrates,qualitylevels,servicelevels,andwastereduction.

Themanufacturermustdeterminewhoneedstoknowwhatinformationinordertoachievethecompany’sgoals.TheirMESandPCTdesignerscancontributeknowledgeofhowbest-in-classmanufacturerscollect,distributeandanalyzedata,andthebestformatinwhichtoviewtheinformation.Together,themanufacturerandtheMES/PCTdesignersdevelopastrategyfordistributingandcomputingtheinformationnecessaryforeffectiveoperationsmanagementconsistentwithcorporategoals.

PCTdesignersmaycollectinformationfromavarietyofsources.InformationpertainingtoplanningandschedulingcanbeimportedfromtheERPandMESsystem.Customerandsupplychainportalscanprovideup-to-the-minuteinformationaboutdemandandpartsavailabilitytofine-tuneproductionschedules.Datafromreal-timeshopflooractivitiesmaycomefromproductionequipment,shopfloorbarcodeandotherinputdevices,closed-circuitTV(CCTV),machineandenvironmentalmonitoringsensors.

Dataisanalyzedandprocessedintomeaningfulinformationforoperationsmanagers.Theymaychoosetodisplayinformationasred/yellow/greenlights,auditoryalarms,oronsmallorwall-sizedcomputermonitorsdisplayinggraphical,diagrammaticorvideoimages.

Diagrammatic, graphical and video images combine in the Production Control Tower to allow operations managers to oversee and interact with shop floor production.

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Information to Act Upon for Efficient and Profitable Manufacturing

Morethansimplydisplayingtheinformation,aneffectiveProductionControlToweristiedintoancomprehensiveMESsystem,suchasEpicData’sIntegraSuite,whichinterpretsthedataandalertsoperationsmanagerswhereactionisrequired.

Examplesofcorrectiveactionthatcanbetakenfromawell-designedproductioncontrolroominclude:

•Avoid parts shortages.ManymanufacturersmonitorWIPandsomemayusekanbanticketsorboardstodrivepartsdeliverytotheirpointofconsumption(POC).EpicData’sIntegraProduction,IntegraTrakandIntegraPOCworktogethertoestablishproductionplans,monitorpartsmovementand,likeakanbansystemthatextendsintothesupplychain,ensurepartsarriveattheirpointofconsumptionwhenthey’reneeded.Moreimportantly,thesuiteworkstogethertoalertproductionmanagersattheirProductionControlTowertopotentialpartsshortageswhilethere’sstilltimetoavoidproductiondelays.

•Improve quality, reduce rework.Qualityteamsusequalitymeasurementsandstatisticalprocesscontrol(SPC)algorithmstodeterminewhenproductionmaybegoingawry.Qualitymanagementpersonnelcanexaminestatisticalqualitydata,videoevidenceandalarmconditionsfromtheProductionControlTowertodeterminethebestcourseofaction.Astheydevelopremediesforqualityimprovement,theycancomparequalitystatisticsandvideoimagesfromglobalfacilitiestoselectandreplicatebestpractices.

•Reduce sources of waste.Wastefromanysource—whetheridletimeonmachines,scrapandunusedmaterial,orreworkduetoqualityissues—iscostlyanddirectlyimpactsamanufacturer’sprofitability.OnemanufactureraskedEpicDatatodesignaProductionControlTowertodisplayandalarmeightkeysourcesofwastetheyhadidentifiedintheircontinuousimprovementinitiatives,allowingthemtofocustheireffortsontakingactiontoreducethesecostlysourcesofwaste.

•Prevent incorrect resource/asset usage. InaDigitalFactory,alltools,partsandpeopleareidentifiedandconnectedonashopfloordatacollectionnetwork.Ifsomeonetriestoperformataskthey’renotcertifiedfor,orapartisabouttobeinstalledinthewrongassembly,orthewrongdieistobeusedtomakeapart,alarmbellssoundintheProductionControlRoomandattheshopfloorsite.Operationsmanagerscantakecorrectiveactiontoensurecorrectproductionproceduresarefollowed.

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Energy Management Visibility for Lower Costs and Reduced Emissions

Energymanagementisincreasinglyafocusofoperationsmanagementasmanufacturerstrytoreignintherisingcostsofenergyandmeetevermorestringentregulationsforcarbonemissions.Aswithproductionequipmentautomation,theDigitalFactoryemploysextensivesensorandcontroltechnologyforenergymanagement.SmartGridtechnologyisbeingdeployedonthefactoryfloortoimprovepowerquality,productionequipmentenergyefficiency,andtoreducepeak-usagecosts.

FromtheProductionControlTower,processengineerscanmonitorpowerqualityinmanufacturingandautomationequipment,andcontrolpowerqualitythroughphaseshiftingforoptimumefficacy.Operationsmanagerscanmonitorenergyconsumptionfromdifferentprocesses,inordertoputinplaceandmeasuretheeffectivenessofenergyefficiencyprograms.Theycancontrolhowandwhenenergyisusedtoreduceusageduringcostlypeakhours.Productionschedulesandpersonnelsensorscanbetiedintolighting,heatandmachineryswitchessothatusageisreducedwhenproductionareasareidle.

Effectiveenergymanagementsystemscansignificantlyreduceenergycostsandcarbonemissions.TheProductionControlTowermakesdatafrommonitoredequipmentandpowersourcevisible,providingtheinformationandaccessibilitytocontrolandoptimizeenergyconsumption.

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Expertise brings together data collection, production planning and ERP in Epic Data PCT

Makenomistake:designinganeffectiveproductioncontrolroomisataskbestsuitedforshopfloordatacollectionandmanufacturingexecutionsystemexperts.ItisnotataskforvideoconferenceroomdesignersorcorporateITpersonnelusedtoofficeapplications.Expertiseinreal-timedatamanagementtoensuredataintegrity,synchronizationandvalidityiscritical.AthoroughunderstandingofthecapabilitiesanddatastructuresoftheERPandMESsystemareamust.

Data collection, management and integration with ERP and MES systems are the critical foundation of the Production Control Tower.

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About the Author

AlanFosterisExecutiveVicePresident,ProductandServicesatEpicData.Hehasbeenresponsibleforthecreation,commercialization/productization,manufacturing,deploymentandsupportofinformationdisseminationsolutionsanddataacquisitionequipmentforenterpriseworkersforover20years.WithagreatdepthofexperienceindevelopingdatacollectiontechnologiessuchasRFID,barcoding,UIDandassociateddatacapturedevicesandwirelessdatacommunications,hehasbuiltanddeliveredapplicationsthatenabletheconstantflowofvaluableinformationtopeoplewhoneedtoknow.

Alaninvitesyoutocontacthimtodiscussimprovingyourmanufacturingoperationmanagementandmanufacturinginformationsystems.

About Epic Data

For36years,EpicDatahasdeliveredreal-timedatacollectionandproductioninformationtodiscretemanufacturersthroughturnkeydatacollection,warehousemanagementandleanmanufacturingoperationsmanagementsolutions.Defensecontractors,aerospace,automotive,hightechnologyandindustrialequipment&machinerymanufacturersemployEpicDatasolutionstooptimizetheROIoftheirmanufacturingITinfrastructureinvestmentsandoperationsbyincreasingplantproductivity,materialsvisibilityandproductionvelocity.

Tomakesureyou’reharnessingthepowerofmanufacturingoperationsmanagementsystems,makesureyouconsulttheexperts.ContactEpicDataatinfo@epicdata.comorviatelephoneat:

North America: (604)273-9146or(877)332-3742United Kingdom: +44(0)1635521140China:086-21-3331-6881

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