Data Collection

For over ten years Fortech Software has been providing management information systems with integrated automatic data collection capability and we know from experience that the major cost of any Management Information system can be its installation and connection to the plant. OEE-IMPACT offers three levels of plant data collection which have been cost-optimized to suit any budget.

Manufacturing Efficiency improvements can only effectively be achieved through a planned approach to the monitoring and gathering of production information (i.e. downtime, utilization, setup times, performance, availability and quality). However, when presented in an accurate, timely and flexible manner that information will enable a successful improvement program to be implemented.

Manufacturing information is often initially collected and analyzed manually using a paper-based system, a method which allows the principles of OEE to be established and the potential benefits of real-time connection to the plant equipment to be measured.

OEE Manual Data Collection.

Where OEE Overall Equipment Effectiveness is new to a company or a basic paper-based system is in operation OEE-IMPACT offers the ideal next step. OEE IMPACT is quick to implement and easy to use, its flexibly configuration and array of automatically generate manual entry forms being ideally suited for rapid deployment around the shop floor

Automatic Data Collection

OEE IMPACT DCT’s are hardware input connection devices that are normally located close to operational production equipment/asset (cells/machines) to enable the collection of real-time digital signals from the production asset to a DCT and on into the OEE IMPACT Server database.

The OEE IMPACT DCT acts as a physical interface between OEE IMPACT and the signals/sensors in you shop floor equipment. Each OEE IMPACT DCT comes ready to go ‘out-of-the-box’’ and is pre-configured to accept all of the signals required for OEE (running, fault, cycle, etc.) together with a number of user definable inputs.

The OEE IMPACT DCT’s can communicate with the main OEE IMPACT server over three mediums: Wired Ethernet, WI-Fi Ethernet and RS485 Multi-drop (mini only), enabling an architecture to be defined which suits your operational conditions and your budget.
 

Two types of DCT are currently available:

Mini DCT: Up to 6 digital inputs, single asset only and communication over RS485.
Midi DCT: Up to 20 digital input signals, maximum two assets, communications over RS485, Ethernet and Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) Ethernet connectivity.

All DCT’s are mains powered 110-240V AC.

Operator Interface
The DCT Operator interface is an optional item allowing operators to interact with the system in real time.

Start production runs
Enter additional fault codes
Display machine status and production counts
Enter Production Counts


OPC Data Source
OEE IMPACT Connect is a fully compliant OPC client and will support all OPC servers. This will allow communication to your favourite PLC and SCADA systems, making use of your currently installed equipment.

OEE IMPACT ODI (Open Database Interface)

OEE IMPACT Connect ODI provides a means to import data into OEE IMPACT from applications such as ERP, SCADA, Excel Spreadsheets, or other programs capable of output to a flat CSV file format in real time.

OEE IMPACT Connect ODI will also allow you to configure OEE IMPACT configuration parameters through the ODI interface. This can be used for updating, as an example: The product information table in OEE IMPACT and or the product standards.

The OEE IMPACT Connect module will accept two CSV file layout types:

Config format: Used for external input of virtually all configurable parameters in OEE IMPACT’s configuration database.

Op-Data format: This file type is used for input of operational production data into OEE IMPACT such as product counts, stoppages etc.

Plant-Wide Connection
Many large fully automated plants require more than just Overall Equipment Effectiveness to measure their performance and, to achieve this, they need to look at HR movement, process data, order scheduling, real-time connections to PLC's, CNC, Robots and weigh-scales and a multitude of other related information. GEMBA Solution Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solution offers full plant connectivity and incorporates OEE as one of its many KPI measurements.