Category: Manufacturing, None

ScholleIPN

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Gateshead, United Kingdom

ICONICS worked with ScholleIPN to connect all of their global locations to a unified control system. The new dashboards have minimized human error and saved untold hours in manual data entry and calculations.

Challenges

  • Reduce or eliminate manual data processing.
  • Standardize regional sites on one SCADA vendor.
  • Allow cross-site comparisons using standardized calculations and metrics.

Results

  • Data is calculated and logged automatically or with the assistance of tablets.
  • All sites use the same ICONICS interface and can be cross-compared.
  • ICONICS GENESIS64™ now monitors all machinery to ensure it is performing at an optimal level.
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By harnessing the ICONICS software and their domain expertise, our equipment now tells our associates where the problem is and the impact it is having. We can now decouple our operators from the actual machine functions, focusing more on our passion—process control improvement. We have enhanced our ability to proactively analyze quality and mechanical data, nurturing faster response times and even elements of prediction through SPC.

— Martin Molloy, Global Continuous Improvement Manager | Scholle IPN

Synopsis

With swift precision through auto configuration tools, ScholleIPN selected ICONICS software for the
deployment of mobile-responsive OEE, SPC, Scrap, and Downtime dashboarding system across all twelve of their global production sites within just two years, based on ICONICS software. Each site has language-aliased HMI screens for regional operators, while local ICONICS data samples are natively pushed to Microsoft’s Power BI service in Azure for corporate reporting. Apple iPads now replace manual scrap data entry and every plant has  clear automated control and visualization of its assets.
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By harnessing the ICONICS software and their domain expertise, our equipment now tells our associates where the problem is and the impact it is having. We can now decouple our operators from the actual machine functions, focusing more on our passion—process control improvement. We have enhanced our ability to proactively analyze quality and mechanical data, nurturing faster response times and even elements of prediction through SPC.

— Martin Molloy, Global Continuous Improvement Manager | Scholle IPN

Introduction

ScholleIPN serves millions of people every day by delivering safe, natural and sustainable packing solutions for a diversity of manufacturing brands. ScholleIPN has standardized on and is globally rolling out ICONICS’ software solution across all 14 of their global sites with mobile-responsive (HTML5- integrated) production interfaces. The local site GENESIS64™ systems deliver OEE, Scrap, Downtime, and SPC dashboarding and alarming for an aggregated 100+ machines worldwide.

ScholleIPN has a vertically integrated value stream, which allows them to control the quality and delivery of their subcomponents.
  • Film extrusion involves extruding a tube of molten polymer through a die and inflating to several times its initial diameter to form a thin film bubble. This bubble is then collapsed and used as a lay-flat or can be made into bags.
  • Injection molding and assembly is a process that injects material into a preformed mold. This procedure is the most common method of manufacturing plastic parts, especially in thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. It is ideal for producing high volumes of the same component.
  • Bag and pouch-making

Challenges

Departmental Overview Running on a Raspberry Pi Departmental Overview Running on a Raspberry Pi
Historically for ScholleIPN, there have been both local production and global IT challenges with managing such a complex and high-output production process:

Local Site Production Challenges:
ScholleIPN found themselves in a position that is typical of many multi-site organizations with a global footprint. The management of their data was disparate and hundreds of data islands have emerged.

At each local site, line operators were manually calculating asset performance and quality metrics. When rolling these values up, the global team also found that each local site calculated these metrics slightly differently creating even further inconsistencies. If Overall Equipment Effectiveness metrics were not always known or available for each site/asset. Finally, for sites that did have an automated system, they were either homegrown or of varying software platforms. So, cross-site performance comparisons were out of the question and thus, collaborative idea sharing was often rejected, delaying improvements and limiting their ability of Just-in-Time (JIT) or production sharing proposals.

Traditionally, line staff manually calculated shift metrics at the end of an order or shift with clipboards and paper, again delaying performance communication and being subject to human error. ScholleIPN collects large amount of data. Volumes of data measurements per product could range somewhere between 85 and 140 data points. Some of the larger SPC machines, such as their finishing assets, now have the capability to register up to 1500+ process points! 

The Continuous Improvement (CI) Team within ScholleIPN identified a business need to replace the culture of local individualism with global collaboration, while still supporting certain local autonomous needs.
Departmental Overview Running on a Raspberry Pi Departmental Overview Running on a Raspberry Pi
Availability, OEE Hour by Hour, and Performance Overview Metrics Availability, OEE Hour by Hour, and Performance Overview Metrics

The Selection of ICONICS

ScholleIPN had extensive preview sessions with competitive software vendors, but ICONICS was selected for the speed and quality at which they released version updates and innovated. It was noted that they substantially outscored their competition in the innovation field. ScholleIPN combined ICONICS’ unmatched pioneering agility with their closeness to Microsoft’s technology (on-premises and Azure) roadmap, and selected ICONICS as their chosen vendor. It wasn’t until experiencing the excellent technical assistance during the implementation stage, however, that ScholleIPN realized the additional collaborative positives of deciding to partner with ICONICS.
Availability, OEE Hour by Hour, and Performance Overview Metrics Availability, OEE Hour by Hour, and Performance Overview Metrics
Operator Machine Interface on Each Machine Operator Machine Interface on Each Machine

The Delivery

The proof of concept (PoC) with ICONICS lasted six months across three different plants. ScholleIPN took the base PoC and, using the easy-to-configure toolset, reverse engineered some calculations and began building the system themselves. This all started at their Gateshead plant in the UK. ScholleIPN’s development versions and releases have been evolving ever since. The speed at which this system has been rolled out to multiple sites across the globe is testament to the proficiency of ICONICS Bulk Asset Configurator (BAC) tool, which has undoubtedly slashed development costs, and the working relationship between ICONICS UK and ScholleIPN’s project team. ScholleIPN defined equipment classes across six machine types and over 100 pieces of equipment within the BAC tool, and can now roll out up to seven machines per hour including Shift OEE and all their other respective metrics. This is a remarkable achievement and has saved many days and possibly weeks of development.
Operator Machine Interface on Each Machine Operator Machine Interface on Each Machine

From an IT standpoint, the management of globally disparate and self-governing control systems on local networks is full of complex challenges. Now with ICONICS we have a single production system that underpins our data normalization and global reporting capabilities as we continue to push data into Power BI for holistic business reporting.

— Scott Slovik, Information Systems Manager, Global Equipment

System Functionality

ScholleIPN’s system functionality can effectively be split into four serviceable zones:

1. OEE, SPC, and Alarm Management KPI Dashboards
ScholleIPN has an array of Raspberry PIs that are running KPI-focused GENESIS64 screens for data interrogation and analysis in their local offices and control rooms. ICONICS products calculate OEE statistics (availability, performance, and quality) in real time per current shift, current order and rolling hour (meaning every minute the system delivers a calculation for the latest 60 minutes against target). The “Worm Bar” combined with ICONICS' flat design dashboarding immediately indicates if a machine has fallen outside its target index.

There are display screens designed for department and shift overview metrics. The system also integrates with non-production data while interfacing natively to an existing ERP system.

2. Scrap Mobile Data Collection
ScholleIPN has gone electronic with all of their paper-based data collection. MobileHMI™, an ICONICS app that runs on any device, now provides an electronic platform to collect and store scrap / waste statistics at the end of each shift.

3. Touchscreen HMI Displays for Every Machine
Certain screens, specifically the HMI and TV display dashboard screens dotted around ScholleIPN’s twelve plants, are built fully on mobile-responsive HTML5 technology through ICONICS’ MobileHMI app. Dashboard screens scale according to the device being used.

4. Power BI Integration
For corporate and local reporting, ScholleIPN is taking local datasource samples from each regional ICONICS GENESIS64 Server and pushing data into a Microsoft Azure server that runs Microsoft’s Power BI.

As all their sites have now been configured, ScholleIPN looks to connect more of their machinery, and connectivity to the ICONICS platform is standard while integrating new assets and technology. ScholleIPN has plans to integrate this system with site energy consumption via existing Building Management Systems (BMS) in efforts to enhance the company’s environmental sustainability efforts.

From an IT standpoint, the management of globally disparate and self-governing control systems on local networks is full of complex challenges. Now with ICONICS we have a single production system that underpins our data normalization and global reporting capabilities as we continue to push data into Power BI for holistic business reporting.

— Scott Slovik, Information Systems Manager, Global Equipment