Machine malfunctions, slowdowns, and other
inefficiencies are problems that plague all production lines. The speed
of these machines makes it difficult to isolate problems and the
origins of machine jams and other unexpected stoppages are often
misinterpreted by line operators and can go unrecorded and
uncharacterized. One problem or malfunction leads to another in a
multi-stage system, creating a domino effect and making the original
issue difficult to identify. Additionally, problems may be irregular or
develop over a long period of time, making it hard to determine what
went wrong.

To solve this problem, researchers at the worlds
leading food and beverage company developed the Remote Observer of
Manufacturing Equipment (ROME), a solution that actually reconstructs
the events that lead to system failure. Similar to the black box flight
recorders used on aircraft, ROME is a diagnostic tool designed to
support food and beverage machinery. It combines signal-data and video
using multiple cameras and provides an integrated time-stamped data
bundle.

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