Optimizing automation performance is more important than ever!

Optimizing automation performance is more important than ever, so monitoring automation processes and diagnosing problems will be increasingly in focus As our customers face increased competition – and get by with lower headcount – they are looking for every means possible to boost the efficiency of their manufacturing automation processes and decrease costs. In our experience, all customers define efficiency in their own way but there are some common interests.  The focus on equipment performance is one, with “overall equipment efficiency” (OEE) coming up in more and more discussions. The use of data to measure and report on performance is another.
In 2019, we’ll be collecting higher volumes of more kinds of data from automated production lines – and building this data collection into more projects – than ever before. The more data we have, the better analyses we can do regarding optimization.
Collecting the data is one thing. Knowing what to collect is another. Knowing how to analyze and present actionable data for shop floor management and operators comprises yet another essential skillset. We’re building sensors, software systems, and reporting devices that do this in increasingly intelligent ways.
Of course, capacity utilization and the types and number of production errors are still important, but other kinds of data are also making their mark. One key OEE metric is the number of sellable products coming off the finishing end. This can be hard to measure while the line is running but we find that consistently analyzing this metric in a structured way invariably leads to increased performance.
Another critical parameter getting more attention is line speed over time. Although there may be peaks where the line runs even faster than 100%, if the line process is unstable you might end up with an overall line speed at only 80% when measured over a longer period.
Another example of the increased drive for efficiency is the spread of video surveillance of automated production lines. Alongside dynamic performance dashboards, these video feeds are displayed on large screens on the production floor or in remote locations and recorded for later use.
Relatively low-tech and simple to use, video recording of critical spots on automated production lines is nonetheless a powerful diagnostic tool to troubleshoot problem areas and increase efficiency. Managers and operators can review video clips to determine what went wrong – and where and when it happened – adding more eyes without adding more headcount.