About Akzo Nobel
AKZO NOBEL is a leading global company, specializing in production of paints, performance coatings and specialty chemicals. Present in over 75 countries, AKZO NOBEL provides work places for over 68 000 people worldwide. The company’s headquarters is located in the Netherlands. Their area of expertise is manufacturing chemicals, finishing materials and pharmaceutical products. Among some of the best known brands one can find Dulux, Sikkens, International and Eka. Akzo Nobel Decorative Paints Sp. z o.o. located in Pilawa, Poland, is a manufacturing plant, operating on the polish market as well as within 20 other European countries.
Objectives of the implementation process
In their continuous efforts to optimize production processes, the plant in Pilawa clarified several key needs:
- Ongoing control of the production effectiveness and the state of orders execution
- Keeping record of stoppages (quantity and causes)
- Visualization of each production line
- Implementation of a clear employee motivation program based on the effectiveness of orders execution
- Automating reporting of progress to the production planning system
In response to the customer’s needs solution based on SmartMES Efficiency&Quality was introduced. The implemented system contains of several core layers:
- Acquisition of data from the production line – due to automation of the production line, gathering data directly from the machines was not possible. Because of that we decided to apply a very “light” solution based on photocells. The system applied continuously analyzes the flow of products (cans) and any production stoppages are discovered based on lengths of time intervals between the signals. The information gathered is then transferred to the central historian database.
- Cooperation with operators – thanks to application SmartMES Oper installed on panel computers, data about order execution and causes of stoppages in the production process is gathered and basic parameters of the production (efficiency, OEE, production counter) are displayed.
- Production visualization – large screen displays (TV 42”) arranged in the production plant, via SmartMES View, provide ongoing information on the status of each production line (current efficiency, expected efficiency, work time, production progress). They also constitute an important element of the employee motivation program – monthly reports are used to calculate the bonuses for the employees.
- Information management and processing – core element of the implemented solution is SmartMES Web application, which through the use of an internet browser provides features that allow to monitor the ongoing production, order execution history, registered stoppages, set manufacturing parameters, production management (orders, production schedules), dictionaries managements, reports. Reliably calculated and current OEE and OPE coefficients are provided. Access to any information concerning production status can be grated from any given place, which allows fast decisions based on real data to be made according to the 3R model (Rights Data, Right Time, Right People).
Achieved benefits
- Increase in the efficiency of the production line use without the need for further investments.
- Clear employee motivation program.
- Regular registration of the order execution progress.
- Comprehensive data concerning failures, stoppages and their causes.
