Quenching a thirst for plant-floor information
Modern factories generate incredible amounts of raw data. If used correctly, this data can offer a fascinating and informative insight into production process, giving a far greater understanding of how processes are actually running rather than how they are perceived to be performing.
No stranger to the power of plant-floor information, PepsiAmericas recently embarked on a quest to gather critical production data from its production processes and present it in a format that would enable better decision making. It has since used this information to improve manufacturing and business processes.
The company’s facility in Des Moines, Iowa makes and packages more than 45 brands of Pepsi-Cola products and, in a single day, produces nearly 60,000 cases of soft drinks.
At the heart of the company’s automation are Rockwell Automation control systems, which govern automated production from the blending of raw materials to packaging. The systems have links to all of the company’s key performance indicators (KPIs) including productivity, quality and service levels. This helps PepsiAmericas identify shortfalls and attack production problems. In addition, to keep up with increasing industry pressures, reduce costs and optimise performance, PepsiAmericas realised that it also needed a clearer picture of what was happening on the plant floor.
Information is displayed in easy-to-read graphics and customised reports
PepsiAmericas was using manual systems to collect performance data from the can line, with operators monitoring and recording throughput and downtime. This information was then manually plugged into the company’s enterprise financial system, which logged how many flavours, cases and package sizes were made each day. Management also reviewed the data to identify incidents and troubleshooting attempts.
While operators were meticulous in recording downtime incidents they were not seeing the short blocks of downtime that, over the course of a day, could add up to significant loss. In addition, merely noting the downtime episodes could not help management understand why they occurred.
The company knew that it needed up-to-the-minute access to real-time information. To do so, it needed a sophisticated data-acquisition system that could gather information from the entire line and present it to management in a usable format. It therefore enlisted a team of engineers to identify and implement the solution.
After installation, the team went through an acceptance test to train staff
The team, lead by production manager, Dave Bramow, sought an automation supplier with the industry expertise and technical capabilities to provide a solution that could turn plant-floor information into business knowledge. The solution needed to deliver accurate, real-time information to help management identify the root cause of problems and drive continuous improvement initiatives. In addition, it wanted a solution that could integrate its disparate systems to improve supply chain visibility and streamline production. The team also wanted a solution that was easy to operate – one that made data gathering and reporting simple and painless. In the end, PepsiAmericas chose Rockwell Automation as its automation partner.
“We’ve had a long relationship with Rockwell Automation and the majority of our applications are built on its control systems,” explains Bramow. “Rockwell Automation listened to our problems and offered a tailored solution. We also had peace of mind knowing that we had local support during and after the installation.”
Rockwell Automation’s Line Performance Solution – a suite of pre-integrated software and services based on the Rockwell Software FactoryTalk production and performance software suite – was selected as the backbone for data acquisition.
“The Line Performance Solution offered everything we were looking for in terms of functionality, robust data gathering capabilities and ease of use,” Bramow continues. “It was essential for improving our overall visibility, tracking and control of the line’s performance, so that we could maximise its capacity and ensure product quality. It also had the best communication format.”
After installation, the team went through a Rockwell Automation systems acceptance test to train staff. This helped operators learn where all of the data collections were coming from, how data was being gathered and most importantly, what the information meant.
Bramow elaborates. “Rockwell Automation also helped us to determine the meaning of OEE,” he continues. “Our understanding was that OEE simply meant how long a machine was up and running. But we were forgetting the product piece and that we needed to factor actual throughput and product quality into that equation.”
“Once the solution was up and running, the Line Performance Solution started delivering a treasure trove of manufacturing data”
Once PepsiAmericas determined a baseline and the solution was up and running, the Line Performance Solution started delivering a treasure trove of manufacturing data. This information, displayed in easy-to-read graphics and customised reports on a standard PC, allows management to view OEE calculations by work cell, downtime for each machine, quality data, changeover times, as well as specific events that cause line stoppages. The obsolete paper-based system has since been eliminated.
PepsiAmericas also uses the FactoryTalk Historian model to log trend information critical to operations. Customised reports deliver essential business information to help management monitor production from an enterprise-wide view or with granularity by individual product count. The most recent addition is a root-cause analysis tool that helps Bramow and his team monitor the filler – the heartbeat of the operation – to identify production issues and understand why they occur. Since the installation of the Line Performance Solution, Bramow and his team have achieved a six percent increase in efficiency, which equates to more than $120,000 in savings each year.
“We selected Rockwell Automation not to just be a short-term, one-project supplier, but to be a long-term partner,” concludes Bramow. “This solution has helped strengthen our competitiveness in the industry and it has enabled us to take a more proactive approach to optimising our operations.”
Thanks to this new initiative, the warehouse entrance at the Des Moines facility proudly bears a 10-foot-long banner for the 2005 PepsiAmericas Plant of the Year.
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