Using large data sets can change the way plastics are manufactured
Data, smart manufacturing, vertical integration, and cross-platform communication have been buzzwords throughout industry recently, with the assumption that everyone is currently doing these. Sumitomo Demag UK believes these processes can benefit companies.
Sumitomo worked alongside a small consortium of premium machinery and automation partners to create a CE-marked machine for connecting IntElect injection moulding machine to all of the periphery moulding equipment. Four existing and functional boxing packing systems were included in this.
By building local software and hardware, the team could make everything interact with each other using a single NC5 controller. The project made the finalist list for the Plastics Industry Awards.
Data has the potential to increase profitability via optimising production if it is used effectively. Big data is a simple term for the reality of data which is large, complex, and comes in diverse forms.
Using new digital technologies can collect data, process and analyse it to help manufacturers gain insight and value from it. Factories' capacity for collecting data is constantly growing, aided by the advancements in digital technology.
Industry 4.0 coined the term “smart manufacturing”, this involves Industrial Control Systems (ICS) monitoring the physical processes of factories and making decentralised decisions. An Internet of Things (IoT) is created through cyber-physical systems. Cross-platform communication is important to Industry 4.0.
Nigel Flowers, SDUK director, said: “The key to success is total integration and seamless interactive connectivity between all devices, from injection moulding machines and robotics to temperature controllers and mould flow digital devices.”
Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) has become increasingly popular, allowing for scalability and extendible communication between injection moulding machines. OPC-UA was created to ensure standardisation of communication between ICS machines. The technology allows equipment to communicate but does not define what they are communicating about.
Flowers added: “90% of the machines we install at SDUK require some form of integration with existing equipment and technologies. Many of this existing equipment is not from the same company. Plus, few factories would ever have the luxury of replacing all their legacy equipment at the same time, or with the same brand.”
These technologies are still in their infancy, with many developments still to come. Machine learning with big data is still not easy and takes time. Issues surrounding overcomplexity and interoperability of ICS are just being addressed.
However, when digital transformations are scaled across an entire value chain, the true gains can be realised. This gives plastics processors a competitive position, allowing both increased production capacity whilst reducing environmental impact. Using new technology can see a 50% reduction in machine downtime, a 30% increase in throughput, and an 85% increase in forecasting accuracy.
