Juice Line OEE Application Story

OVERVIEW:

PDA was tasked with providing a major juice manufacturer OEE data visualization via a web application.  The client needed high-refresh rate OEE visualization and the ability to input manual data (downtime tick sheets).  Additionally, PDA needed to provide production analytics by shift, product, equipment status, uptime vs. downtime, and actual production time vs. target production time.  Initial deployment was for 1 production line with 4 more added shortly after pilot phase.

SCOPE:

Research existing line and equipment PLCs and network infrastructure to plan the communication paths from equipment through to the reporting server.  Once data format and location (tags) were identified within various PLCs, PDA then connected them to the collection server via Transaction Manager.  They then provided server integration, web application development, and custom report development.  PDA provided the required software, thin clients, TV Displays for data visualization, and NEMA 4X enclosures.

CLIENT:

A manufacturer of juice, jellies, and jams. The client also manufacturers frozen and shelf stable concentrates, organics, and dried fruit.

INDICATIONS CLIENT HAD NEED:

  • Client needed to measure Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) based on their line equipment.
  • Client needed visualization and warnings to understand production bottlenecks, plan to avoid in the future.
  • Client needed/wanted to track uptime/downtime and trend that against targets for more effective business intelligence and production decision making.
  • Client had legacy (OLD), minimum-flexibility, custom developed Excel application that performed some of these functions but was not flexible, expandable, nor maintainable.

PROVIDED BY PDA:

PROJECT HARDWARE:

  • HP thin clients
  • Samsung Displays
  • Armagard NEMA 4X TV Enclosures

TECHNOLOGY:

Rockwell FactoryTalk Transaction Manager

  • UltraVNC remote management software
  • C# Custom Application Development
  • Microsoft SQL Server Database Integration
  • KEPServerEX OPC server
  • VMWare virtual infrastructure

DIGITALIZATION SERVICES: 

Web Application Development with design which included capabilities like:

  • High refresh-rate status of plant floor equipment:
    • Equipment status
    • OEE update by hour
    • Downtime pie chart
    • Bar chart
    • Pareto chart
    • Demand versus production (counts/targets)
  • Downtime entry to a “tick sheet” via web app at thin client terminals
  • Changeover countdown clock
  • Reports:
    • Downtime Pareto by cause/line/shift/hour/week
    • Downtime trend by cause/line/shift/hour/week
    • Daily production tracking sheet
    • OEE
    • Downtime tick sheet