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Production in view with Manufacturing Execution System (MES)
Plastics processor BIC standardizes and automates injection molding process monitoring with TIG authentig.
BIC Violex Shavers plant operates more than 180 injection molding machines. With this number of machines, it is difficult to detect processing issues. A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for injection molding process monitoring was introduced.
![[Translate to Englisch:] Bild zeigt BIC Kunststoff-Rasierer produziert mit einem Manufacturing Execution System (MES)](/fileadmin/_processed_/b/6/csm_website_blog_1060x540_22_bic_f2408b0e49.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:] BIC Kunststoff-Rasierer")
Challenge of monitoring of the injection molding process
BIC Shavers Plant in Athens, Greece, produces 1 billion wet razors annually. The machinery comes from various manufacturers, and production is carried out in Business Units, operating more than 50 machines each. These are located in various production halls at the factory premises. Production runs around the clock and includes plastic components for both simple razors and razors with several components or inserts.
Before the decision to implement TIG's Manufacturing Execution System (MES) authentig, BIC tried to identify process issues at the plastic injection molding machines using manual production logs. Shift supervisors and machine operators were responsible for this task. However, due to the large number of machines, problems could neither be readily detected nor remedied in a short time.
The issue:
- It was not possible to evaluate critical data in real-time.
- Adjustments to the injection molding parameters were often not passed on, which meant that there was no traceability of parameter changes.
- If parameters were outside of tolerance, they were only detected after production during quality control, similar to operator errors. In some cases, entire finished batches of plastic components had to be scrapped.
It quickly became apparent that this way of working was not efficient and did not make sense in the long run.
Manufacturing Execution System (MES) with TIG authentig
The choice was authentig software from TIG, which belongs to the ENGEL group of companies and offers digital solutions for injection molding production. The reason for this decision was not only the experience of ENGEL with over 400 customers worldwide, but also the several advantages this software offers.
What does this mean in concrete terms?
- Real-time evaluation of 50 machines in just 15 minutes
- Recording of more than 100 parameters per machine
- Straightforward dashboards to support staff, etc.
Learn more about the software for machine data acquisition TIG authentig.
With planned training sessions and meetings to exchange information and feedback, we have been able to further develop our system so that it is precisely tailored to the requirements of our plant. We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration with TIG to take our injection moulding process into this exciting new era together.
Thanasis Karagiannis, Principal Molds Engineer / Project Manager BIC Violex
So far we have had to rely on our intuition, and we have not always been right.
Yiannis Voultzatis, IMM Process & Mold Optimization Manager BIC Violex
Implement Manufacturing Execution System (MES) in phases
In such a large project with great complexity, the sequential steps must be chosen carefully. Proceeding forward in planned phases, leads to quicker realization of successes. In that respect, the trust of the entire staff and upper management in the project builds up more quickly.
A particular challenge was not only the number of injection molding machines, but also the fact that they were acquired from different manufacturers. This rendered proper networking particularly demanding. The project benefited from TIG's several years of experience in the field of data acquisition.
In the last step, everything was adapted to the needs of the users. The aim was to ensure that the necessary data was available at the push of a button. In addition, molding supervisors were also trained on the Manufacturing Execution System (MES), as a tool to assist them in their daily work.
Result: Process monitoring in 15 minutes
After the successful installation of the TIG authentig Monitoring, Quality Process and Reporting modules, production data can be recorded in real-time, and numerous process indicators can be displayed.
Problems in the production process are no longer solved by gut feeling. With the help of the Manufacturing Execution System (MES), problems with the injection molding process are now solved based on data-driven decisions.
In addition, process trends can be easily recognized. They provide information about the properties of the processed polymers and the condition of the molds and machines. All data is automatically stored in a central database.
The advantages of the MES software for BIC Violex are considerable:
- Molding supervisors can get an overview of the production status for the last seven days in just 15 minutes.
- Errors in operation are immediately registered by real-time monitoring. This prevents unnecessary rejects.
- Downtime can be reduced by quickly recognizing fluctuations in the injection molding process and rectifying them in less time.
Has the investment in a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) been worthwhile?
Unnecessary rejects during the production of the plastic wet razors can be prevented with the use of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), downtime can be reduced and process trends can be detected. Also, process monitoring runs much more efficiently. Taking all the above into account, it can be stated that the investment pays off.
If questions or problems with the use of the software arise, these are also quickly clarified. With the help of the manufacturer's ticket portal, BIC can exchange information with TIG service technicians in writing and resolve any uncertainties or perform fast troubleshooting to ensure minimal loss of data from the machines.
You can find more information about the integration process of TIG authentig at BIC in our webinar.
We look forward to advising you on the possible applications of our
Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for your plastics production.
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