Traceability and transparency in the production process

>> Facts
For more than 30 years, the company, based in the Upper Bavarian region, has been committed to the production and distribution of organic food. Particular attention is paid to sustainability, including social and economic aspects..

>> Initial situation
In partially automated production, many processes are still recorded and documented manually. For each end product, important parameters such as weight, moisture, volume, etc. are recorded manually. Errors are inevitable in this process.

Research and data preparation for internal and external audits are usually very time-consuming. Traceability is also difficult in the event of quality problems.

>> Target
A central software solution is to be provided for the automated storage and evaluation of data, e.g. from Siemens WinCC or metal detectors. This should simplify plant management and make it more transparent. In the future, the collected production data will be available ad hoc for reporting and audits. Above all, quality management is to be supported and relieved in the area of audit preparation.

>> Project targets & requirements in detail:

• Central software solution for quality and process data storage
• Guidance of plant operators by intuitive and user-friendly software
• Process automation: workflows depending on specific events, e.g. metal detector results
• Complete batch traceability
• Relevant information, e.g. for audits, should be available ad hoc
• Automated reporting, e.g. daily and weekly reports for production and quality management
• Alarm and event recording: All events in the production line should be documented and made evaluable.

>> Technical challenges
Complete integration into the Siemens WinCC world
Creation of complex workflows for process automation: e.g. metal detector events are documented automatically and are available for ad hoc audits
Centralized and automated reporting: consolidation of production-relevant information provided by different sources

>> Decision for the iMes Solutions GmbH

• The user friendly and intuitive web solution from iMes Solutions GmbH meets all the company's requirements.
• The Plant Historian shift book software is coupled with the OPC server and, for example, automatically creates an ACTUAL/TARGET comparison of the product used during each weighing process and identifies any difference.
• The shift book solution is fully integrated into the Siemens WinCC world. A button opens the dialog in the browser window and the input fields are automatically filled in advance.
• The shift book solution is also available as an add-on in the Siemens Industry Mall.

>> Conclusion
The shift book software solution provided by the iMes Solutions GmbH is characterized by its complete integration into the Siemens WinCC world. It supports paperless working in all areas of production and quality management. This reduces the time required for recording, reporting and research, increases process quality and reliability and reduces costs. As a special advantage for its platform-independent use, the software solution can be used equally in the Windwos, Android and iOS world.

An example from practical experience
iScan PVK (product shipping labeling) as part of the iScan product family is used internationally for product and shipping labeling at one of the world's largest manufacturers of styrenic plastics.

The globally positioned manufacturer of styrenic plastics with around 3,600 employees produces plastics for everyday products in various industries, for example automotive, electronics, construction, household, leisure, packaging, medical and health.

The iScan PVK module is currently used at three locations in North America and at one location in Asia. iScan is also used at various locations in Europe in different configurations. At the German sites, both the iScan PDM (production data management) and the iScan WMS (warehouse management) modules are being used.

Initial situation & target
In the past, the North American sites used label printing software that was outdated and in some cases no longer supported. The existing solution was to be replaced by modern digital software.

All sites should be provided, installed and trained exclusively via "remote".

Time and cost savings due to "remote" commissioning
Both the installation of iScan PVK and the commissioning and user training were realized "remotely".

In the future, maintenance work can also be carried out at any time from a single location - resulting in enormous time and cost savings overall.

More than a connection between shopfloor and topfloor - a global success story
The solution is characterized by easy handling, high transparency of goods movements, product & batch traceability and a direct SAP® connection.

The major benefit for the customer results from the standardized SAP® interface at all sites and the processes that are mapped via this interface. The standard enables the company to equip further sites with iScan.

The iScan "Core Features" in an overview:

• Transfer of master data from the ERP system
• Guidance of the plant operator through the entire production process
• Recording of all production steps
• Automatic value transfer, target lists, tolerance checks
• Recipe calculation/management
• Feedback of produced goods/quantities (good goods, goods not conforming to type, rejects) and consumptions
• Complete recording of goods movements
• Grouping according to storage locations, material and batches
• Access to / transfer of data from the ERP system
• Tool for permanent and key date inventory

Customer testimonial from Business Process Manager Production & Quality Management
"iScan has a long history and perhaps a never-ending story as it continues to grow and become a global success," says the Business Process Manager Production & Quality Management, with a big smile on his face.

"I think the sentence that really hits the mark is: "iMes not only talks about solutions, but also delivers them"[...].
"With iScan, we have delivered a customized solution that can be deployed internationally, that meets individual requirements, and that leads to an overall harmonization of our internal processes. No matter when or where we have brought iMes and our company together, it has always been a great success."

Project highlights

• Global solution for product and shipment labeling
• Simple and secure SAP® connection
• Standardized in-house infrastructure and business processes
• Complete installation, commissioning and key user/application training "remotely"

One of the most important global automotive suppliers with 158,000 employees at 340 locations uses the RFID solution of iMes Solutions GmbH for tracking, tracing and documentation of the production routes in the casting plant. The constant expansion of the plant was increasingly becoming a bottleneck in the coordination and documentation of the transport routes from the furnace to the casting machine and required an automated solution.

A digital answer to the question

WHAT was processed WHEN, HOW and WHERE?

was required.

The RFID solution by iMes Solutions GmbH was able to convince with its answers and fulfil all of the customer's requirements. The system mounted on transport units (forklifts, trucks, electric lift trucks, etc.) records, documents and controls the removal and the path of the material through the entire production process. The recorded parameters such as date, time, weight, temperature and information on the production units are checked for plausibility - thus guaranteeing that the materials reach the production units intended for them. The transport systems are directly linked to the plant automation system. The work processes are prioritized. The drivers receive the orders from the work preparation directly on a terminal PC on the truck.

The use of the Production Tracking & Tracing Systems for Magna BDW Technolgies means:

• Optimization of the transport processes for more efficient logistic processes
• Optimal use of resources
• Documentation and traceability of processes and transport paths in the casting plant
• Quality assurance by adhering to the impeller times

You will find a detailed report on the cooperation between Magna BDW Technologies  and iMes Solutions GmbH here.

Digital event from 19-21 October 2020 :

Due to the corona pandemic, the event, which was originally planned on site in Poland under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy with the theme

Business Trip Industry 4.0 to Poland for German suppliers of innovative automation, sensor, control and production technologies

will be a digital event.

The iMes Solutions GmbH will be part of it.

On Monday, 19th  October 2020 Andreas Hohendorf (Management & Business Development ) will speak about digital production based on communication, data and knowledge - as the basis for a sustainable competitive advantage.

We will provide information about digital possibilities and new developments in production and will also be available to answer your questions by telephone, e-mail or contact form.

Phone: Mario Schachinger: +49 8677 961824
E-mail: Mario.Schachinger@imes-solutions.com
Contact form: https://www.imes-solutions.com/de/root/company/contact.html