You can know what is happening right now on your shop floor, what happened five minutes ago, and what is likely to happen in the next few minutes. Real-time plant performance monitoring (PPM) systems give you the ability to do just that and to respond immediately to changes or problems in your manufacturing processes while creating and maintaining key performance indicators that will help you to optimize those processes.
Real-time PPM systems pull data directly from machines on the plant floor, but how they work can differ between systems. For example, PPM systems can collect data through an operator control station, or by being wired to a machine's PLC, or through an intermediate software package. in addition, some PPM systems work through web browsers and keep collected data on servers that are located on-site at the shop, while others are hosted from websites that are run by the system provider who maintains the data at a remote server.
The Plexus Online system from Plexus systems (www.plex.com) also offers a real-time, on-demand interface to manufacturing processes. however, this system software is hosted over the internet from Plexus's own website.
At its site, the company stores and maintains all the software programs and collected data. shop customers own the data, but Plexus manages it, backs it up and protects it for them. Plexus's management of the data eliminates the need for on-site servers, databases and extra it personnel.
Shops can use simple web browsers to track the critical aspects of their operations from anywhere at anytime, and managers can initiate changes when they are needed. operators input data to Plexus Online from machine control panels or from a separate PC, or data can be entered automatically through a server and PLC connection.
One Plexus customer stores setup parameters for its stamping presses within Plexus Online then downloads those settings to its machines. as the presses run, the Plexus Online software monitors them, and if a measurement is out of spec, the software initiates an appropriate adjustment.
The same customer also prompts and monitors quality inspections through the Plexus Online system. the software is programmed to require inspections on a given number of parts to make sure the process is running right and that press tooling has not worn. if the operator does not make a scheduled inspection within five minutes of the Plexus Online system calling for one, the software shuts down the press automatically to avoid wasting material or producing bad parts. Besides such monitoring, the system also creates traceability records.
The Plexus Online site resides in auburn hills, Mich., and currently oversees about 1,200 plants, backs up customer information and archives data. every hour or so, the site conducts a disc-to-disc back up and a once daily disc-to-tape back up. its backup tapes are stored off site.
Plexus has five websites for backup, and a redundant internet connection and back-up power. it also has a complete back-up-data center in a location outside of Michigan.
The company regularly answers questions on data security and how safe data is from outsiders."a shop's data is not just ‘out there' on the internet. it is literally in a locked vault at the Plexus facility," Mark symonds, chief executive officer of Plexus systems inc. said. "there is a lot of physical security involved, and shops, on their own, would be hard pressed to acquire and maintain the level of system redundancy, safety and security that Plexus does, let alone be able to afford a complete fail-over back-up facility," he added.
Source: American Machinist
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