Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). OEE is like the holy grail of manufacturing KPIs. It measures how efficiently your equipment is running by looking at availability, performance and quality. Implementing an OEE tracking system helps you pinpoint bottlenecks, reduce downtime and generally get things humming along more smoothly. What’s great is that OEE solutions are often part of MES platforms and can be installed a la carte without the need to invest in an overarching MES platform. By focusing on OEE first, you can start with a clear goal and see measurable outcomes without overhauling your entire system.
Downtime tracking. The real magic of downtime tracking lies in the automated collection of data. Rather than relying on manual categorization, which can be prone to errors and inconsistencies, a comprehensive OEE solution should automatically record fault codes and downtime reasons such as changeover and scheduled maintenance. Integrating directly with live status from PLCs ensures accurate, real-time data collection, making it much easier to identify and address issues promptly.
Batch recipe management. In industries like pharmaceuticals and food and beverage, precise formulations are crucial. Batch recipe management ensures that the right ingredients are used in the correct proportions and sequences. An automated system reduces the risk of human error, ensuring consistency and quality while helping maintain compliance with industry standards. Recipe management systems can range from simple setups using MS Excel to advanced custom-scripted web applications interfacing with other internal systems.
LIMS data integration. Laboratory information management systems (LIMS) handle data from laboratory operations. Integrating LIMS with your manufacturing processes can enhance data accuracy and traceability. This seamless data flow between the lab and the production floor means quality control data is always at your fingertips, ready for those critical production decisions. Modern historian systems can link LIMS data through external data sources or even leverage the historian itself for logging data from analytical instruments connected via OPC, for instance.
Bi-directional workflow implementation. Integrating your enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems with industrial control systems (ICS) ensures data flows smoothly in both directions. This bi-directional workflow improves coordination and decision-making, providing real-time visibility into production metrics and business KPIs. This is typically where full-blown MES platforms excel. However, a simple example of this type of integration can be accomplished using a shared SQL table between the systems, enabling basic data exchange. In more complex applications, it can involve tracking production and consumptions in real-time, where the ERP system sends production orders to the ICS, which then updates the ERP with real-time production data and material consumption. This can be achieved through modern middleware solutions that facilitate real-time data exchange and ensure that both systems are always synchronized.