Remscheid, Milan 12th-19th November 2015 – At ITMA 2015 in Milan the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment presents the next development stage of its modular Plant Operation Center (POC). The extended process and production control system can now capture and digitise all the steps of yarn production and processing including plant technology from third party suppliers. In addition, it can be linked to ERP systems such as SAP. The networking of several plants via cloud computing is likewise possible, opening the door for manufacturers to highest process efficiency and transparency at Industrie 4.0 level.
Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment at the ITMA Milan: Plant Operation Center (POC)
The production technology is linked via computer and Internet technologies, production and machine data are available in real time as well as over the entire value chain, around the clock and anywhere. This allows for extremely fast reaction, creating maximum traceability and planning reliability, and thereby continual improvement of processes, quality and competitiveness. For such scenarios there is meanwhile a term which has become known beyond Europe: Industrie 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution.
The Plant Operation Center of the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment has been extended to fulfil these requirements. The software- and Internet-based control system now captures the complete manufacturing process. In spinning mills for example this extends from melting of the granulate right up to quality testing and approval of the finished POY packages. Upon request it can be extended to further processing to the DTY product in texturing systems. This provides a documented, complete curriculum vitae of each package, enabling full traceability and the targeted search for causes at every process stage.
Job and product tracking: control in real time
At the same time it is clear where quality originates and efficiency prevails, and where not. For every production order is – in interaction with ERP systems such as SAP – generated in the POC, continuously updated and mapped. Using this job and product tracking system, authorised personnel can track at all times, which product is being produced at which position and in which quality, whether machine performance and production quality are currently correct and whether production is on schedule.
As a result the POC is becoming increasingly mobile and besides the desktop and web-based workstations available from the very beginning, also supports smartphones and tablets. This is true particularly in the case of tools to control and improve operating performance and task management.
Tools for greater operating efficiency
Operators can also view critical operating conditions and urgent tasks on mobile devices. The appropriate tools provide a clear overview of the processing priorities using a colour code. Thereby operating efficiency can be considerably increased and maintenance and servicing better planned and carried out just in time.
Authorised management personnel can also access the current Key Performance Indicators (KPI), which were previously stored on the POC server or on the Intranet of the customer, per smartphone, anytime and anywhere. The current status of the machines and installations can be recognised immediately in regard to target values, via the traffic light colour scheme on the display.
Modular and adaptable – right up to globally-networked production
Particularly interesting for the efficient and transparent production process: In a POC network, information can be exchanged between production sites in a safe and controlled manner. Cloud computing enables the provision of data, KPIs and recipes. This smoothes the way for best practice processes in the global production network.
"With our extended POC our customers receive all information at an early stage to steer course for efficiency and thus success in production. Shift management, personnel deployment and centralised reporting are made easier, and time and resources saved. At the same time we adapt the POC precisely to the requirements of each individual customer", explains Reinhard Muehlenmeister, Head of Software Solutions. This is made possible by the modularity and scalability of the system which can be simply expanded through additional modules at a later stage.
According to company information, there are approximately 100 POCs currently installed at customers of Oerlikon Manmade Fibers around the world – and enquiries are on the rise, adds Muehlenmeister: "Quality and traceability are playing an ever greater role in business. There is also demand for highest efficiency, planning reliability and data integration. That's why we are working on the POC of tomorrow - today." The already integrated remote support should then allow for even more intensive machine monitoring. And in certain situations the machines should automatically propose solution options – Industrie 4.0 sends its regards.
