On top of the traceability of data throughout the system, DMC also implemented Sepasoft’s SPC module to add quality functionality to the system. The quality features were very configurable and allowed the quality users to enable and disable verifications and set the limits of different verifications. This allowed for the quality team to have greater control and flexibility of when parts were put on MRB hold as the manufacturing processes changed. 

DMC partnered with the client through a staff augmentation model where DMC engineers collaborated closely with the client’s internal developers. Using this approach, the client was able to maintain the system themselves while leveraging DMC’s technical expertise to assist with complex architecture. DMC’s support also ensured that the substantial development workload was completed on schedule. 

Figure 1 – Quality team screen where users can create new sample definitions

Figure 2 – Track and trace of material through the process

Figure 3 – material input screen where the user can receive materials and log data for that material

Learn more about DMC’s Sepasoft Programming expertise and contact us for your next project.

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• Conveyor system with automatic buffering/transfers.
• Data tracking using RFID readers and custom PLC logic.
• Vision inspection for pass/fail of parts.
• Automated reject handling based on pass/fail.
• Operator interface station to perform manual intervention.

Automated storage and retrieval system.

• Central buffer for all work in progress parts.
• Storage and retrieval of radios accomplished via integration with robot arm.
• Part data determined via RFID, data stored in custom database.
• Parts delivered to and requested from buffer fully automatically with AMRs – no operator interaction needed.

Packaging station.

• Robotic packaging system to place parts into boxes, place boxes onto pallets, strap pallets, and deliver to warehouse management system.
• Automated conveyor infeed of parts, boxes, and other consumables.
• Flexible assembly sequences based on needs of specific part.
• Integration with WMS and MES systems for fully automated sequences.

DMC programmed each machine using B&R’s PC based PLC platform.  Each machine had its own Industrial PC running both Windows for the HMI and B&R’s Automation Runtime for the PLC. Operator interface was via MappView on a touch-screen panel PC. All PLC and HMI programming was done in Automation Studio, a text based IDE.

Automation Studio files are text based and human readable. Because of this, DMC was able to use a full git based development workflow during both offline and onsite development. This included automated merging features created in parallel by different developers, as well as the ability to resolve merge conflict on a line-by-line basis. This allowed quicker development and higher quality code due to efficient code reviews.

DMC integrated a large variety of communication protocols and devices for the project. This included OPC UA, PROFINET, POWERLINK, X2X, zebra printers, SQL databases, and various systems for MES, AMR, and WMS communication.
 
The communication backbone for the MES, AMR, and WMS systems was OPC UA. B&R’s OPC UA forward platform allowed DMC to effectively communicate with all three systems via OPC server and client methods. Each of the tools automatically requests both work in progress parts from the buffer when needed as well as additional consumable materials when low. Once a part is completed in one tool, requests are automatically sent for AMR pickup at the tool output. These automatic requests for delivery and pickup increased the plant’s efficiency and don’t require operator intervention.

To allow for efficient commissioning, DMC conducted extensive OPC UA method testing against a simulated MES environment before going onsite. This included simulated conveyor data transfers, part tracking, and failure conditions. Once onsite, DMC implemented extensive logging for OPC interactions to assist in debugging unexpected behavior. This logging was available to plant operators via the HMI, allowing DMC to quickly close the loop without having to manually go online with the system.

Overall, our expertise in B&R programming, OPC UA, and MES Integration led us to successfully provide the client with an automated assembly line system that allows the client to respond to changes easily.

Learn more about our PLC Programming expertise and contact us for your next project. 

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DMC used Inductive Automation’s powerful Ignition platform, including purpose-built MES software modules from Sepasoft, to develop a custom MES application that added key automated features to the client’s production workflow and helped to better integrate their various software systems.

DMC created an algorithm that performs multiple sortation and grouping steps to optimize the order in which the client’s crops are planted. This routine increases the efficiency of the harvest by grouping crops together. It also organizes transplant operation by considering future transplants and harvests when deciding where crops should be planted, setting the customer up for future efficiency gains. DMC developed several web API integrations with an ERP system to coordinate production information with the customer’s enterprise needs.

To collect inventory data, DMC connected the MES application to an InfluxDB timeseries database – a type of NoSQL database.  RFID scan data was retrieved from InfluxDB and used to track individual parts as they moved through the transplant and harvest process. This provided the client with finely detailed information about the locations of parts in the facility. In some cases, DMC connected the application directly to the RFID scanners and weigh scales to measure part-by-part crop yields.

By integrating with the ERP and InfluxDB database, the customer received detailed information to help with their decision making. This allowed them to optimize the use of their equipment and increase product throughput.

Learn more about DMC’s MES Programming services and contact us for your next project.

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To begin, DMC connected the client’s CNC machines to an OPC server to collect live data. The data was sent to Ignition and linked to Sepasoft’s back end model, which is based on ISA-95. DMC relied heavily on built-in Sepasoft objects within Ignition Perspective to configure the CNC machines, while using several custom screens to display both downtime and production counts. One very powerful custom screen was a dynamically populated dashboard that would automatically show a new CNC machine when the new machine was connected to the system. This low code approach gave the client’s operators the ability to view critical data while reducing the amount of custom code to maintain.

The client also needed a way to view data at a higher level. Using the report generator in conjunction with Sepasoft’s analysis tools, DMC was able to provide the users with the ability to generate downtime and production reports for their machines over any range of time.

Overall, this solution demonstrates the power of an Ignition Perspective application along with Sepasoft to create helpful plant insights for clients to increase efficiency. Furthermore, the flexibility of this solution allows the client to expand to multiple plants if needed in the future.

Learn more about DMC’s Sepasoft Programming expertise and contact us for your next project.

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The application uses the Sepasoft Track and Trace module, the Sepasoft SPC module, and the Ignition Perspective module to track products and ensure the quality of materials and end products as they are passed through quality control checks along the process. Since this manufacturer has multiple sites, consistency across sites was key: which is why Sepasoft is synced with Aras PLM to maintain materials and processes across work centers. 

DMC also condensed multiple HMI projects into one central project while still maintaining granularity for unique needs across process areas, allowing administrators to monitor the whole process without needing multiple devices.

Migrating from a custom-built solution to a Sepasoft solution allowed for a code base that is much easier for the end customer to maintain and scale out as new equipment is added. Using as much Sepasoft out of the box functionality as possible, DMC approached this project with the goal of a low code MES. This resulted in less engineering time spent adding features and a more consistent and reliable data structure across the client’s facility.

Learn more about DMC’s Sepasoft Programming expertise and contact us today for your next project.

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DMC began the design process by working closely with the client to determine all requirements for their new system. Once the objectives were fully defined, DMC developed a custom MES using Sepasoft modules. The Sepasoft modules gave DMC the base functionality for the system. DMC’s engineers then customized the modules to fit the client’s specific requirements.

The major functionality of the system is scheduling production runs and tracking data against those runs. This increases the visibility of the production floor and gives the client data that can be used to improve their processes.

To achieve this, the system communicates with a variety of systems including the Ignition SCADA Gateway, WMS, custom vision system (through RESTful APIs), corporate inventory, and line equipment. In total, the system gathers data from 25 lines and collects around 50,000 data points per shift.

The captured data allows the MES to calculate OEE, downtime, production yields, and labor. Personnel from operators to plant managers to the FSQA department can then use these reports to gain greater visibility into production and make informed decisions about their business.  

Learn more about DMC’s MES expertise and contact us for your next project.

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DMC utilized Ignition’s sequential function charts (SFC) module as a mediator between the PLC and MES by programming it to step the PLC through each of the recipe steps sent from the MES. We also designed custom templates in the HMI which allowed us to monitor and control different devices such as presses, motors, and air solenoids. The dynamic screen layout, shown below, displayed the template of the active device, making monitoring of the system intuitive and easy to navigate for the operator.

As an Ignition Premier Integrator, DMC has extensive experience in Ignition programming. Therefore, we also harnessed Ignition’s flexible architecture and python modules to create dynamic screens and custom scripts that auto-generated large portions of the application with just a few configuration tags. In our case, up to 90% of the Ignition project was able to be auto-generated with these dynamic objects. This feature allowed for our customized system to be replicated at several lines in five different facilities. This saved the client both time and money by streamlining the implementation process across the different assembly lines. 

Read more about DMC’s MES expertise and contact us to get started on your next project.
 

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DMC’s team of expert HMI & SCADA engineers customized an Ignition system for our client that gathered data from seven machines. Each machine ran Ignition Edge and communicated its local machine data up to the main Ignition gateway. This allowed the system to automatically store and forward critical audit data and alarm information. In the event of a network failure, each machine could run on local machine control as well—making this system incredibly reliable.

Once the data was collected, various KPI analyses were automatically run. We developed a reusable library for calculating these key metrics, which allowed us to utilize the same script at both the machine and line level. This greatly cut down development and commissioning time, providing our client with a cost-effective solution.

In total, the Ignition system calculated twenty-six different metrics for each machine and the entire line, including OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) calculations. DMC developed a scheduler object for the line that allowed users to utilize these KPIs in tandem with scheduling operator shifts. For example, the user could schedule individual or recurring events, which Ignition would then use to automatically calculate key metrics for each shift.

Our customized system handled communication to the seven machines, as well as a remote recipe system. Therefore, DMC employed the Ignition sequential function chart feature to develop a state machine that ensured the remote system and the seven local machines were always operating synchronously with each other. In addition, we developed a material tracking system that logged all scanned materials in the line and would accept or reject them based on different criteria.

DMC’s solution not only increased the reliability and efficiency of the manufacturing line but also automatically gathered and analyzed key metric data. With the wide scope of recorded KPIs, DMC was able to provide our client with detailed reports of their machines. The client can use these reports to gain better insight into their production and make informed decisions to ensure a sustainable, profitable future.

Learn how DMC has helped upgrade other companies’ manufacturing lines and contact us today to get started on your next project.

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Under the Italian Industry 4.0 National Plan, companies are encouraged to invest in Industry 4.0 technologies through tax incentives. Investment costs are increased by 150% of their value through Hyper Amortization, and 40% through Super Amortization. The goals here are to support Italian companies when they make tangible investments in technological and digital transformation.

The scope of work for which DMC was primarily responsible consisted of four machines on the packaging line. Each machine had its own PLC. DMC was tasked with ensuring that the communication with the Wonderware MES system was compliant with the Industry 4.0 National Plan requirement under the Hyper Amortization category.

To achieve this compliance, DMC developed a library to be used across all machines. The functionality of the library was to aggregate all of the relevant machine data, process and format it into the correct data structures, and to send that data on to the Wonderware MES system as well as pass commands from the Wonderware MES system down to the machine. The library developed was flexible enough to be used on the vastly different machines while still ensuring that the proper data was passed between the machines and the higher-level system.

DMC was a natural fit for this role due to our familiarity with this customer’s code, our experience working with and programming in the Siemens and Aveva environments, and our background in using the PackML architecture on packaging lines, as this was the basis for the Industry 4.0 National Plan requirement in this application. Ultimately, the solution provided met all of the customer’s and the Italian government’s requirements for Hyper Amortization.​

Learn more about DMC’s work in the Packaging Machinery industry, Food and Beverage industry, and our partnership with Siemens. Contact us for any assistance regarding PLC Programming and MES Systems.

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We delivered a fully open solution (including all source code and hardware schematics), enabling the client’s in-house engineers and developers to maintain, refine, and expand the system over time to support evolving test requirements.

Design and Architecture

DMC worked with the customer to translate testing requirements into an abstract system state diagram depicting the connection schema that forms the backbone of the test stand.

Abstract System State Diagram – click for full-size image.

Electrical Panel Layout

Test Stand High Power Panel (Left) and Low Power Panel (Right)

• High-Power Panel
  • High-Power relays
  • Length-matched high-power cabling
• Low-Power Panel
  • Fusing Infrastructure
  • CAN Communication
  • Data Acquisition Hardware (National Instruments cDAQ Chassis)
  • Housed ‘Bus’ Architecture
• Safety Interlocks
• Door Proximity Sensors
• 2 E-STOP Buttons
• External Interlock Inputs
• Hardware and Software Inputs to Interlock Loop

Bus Architecture

System State Diagram with Bus Highlights – click for full-size image.

To maximize the number of external (DUT) connections a single piece of instrumentation could utilize, we used a bus architecture in the electrical design. The names and a brief description of the bus function are as follows:

• Measurement Bus (Green)
  • Route the testing instrumentation probe lines out to external connectors
• High Power Bus (Blue)
  • Route high-power signals between the high-power connectors mounted to the test stand
• Sense Bus (Purple)
  • Route the sense lines for the high current test instrumentation out to a DUT connector interface
• Power Supply Bus (Orange)
  • Route the power from a programmable power supply out to an external connection interface
• Bus Bus (Yellow)
  • Route signals from one bus to another bus

Software Architecture

DMC’s employed our Flex Framework, the DMCquencer, and additional LabVIEW Object-Oriented Programming (LVOOP) on this test stand. DMC’s Flex Framework is a collection of common tools and standard resources that engineers can draw from while designing an application.

Designed in LabVIEW, the application is easily extensible and open source. DMC provided the source code for the project to the customer, enabling them to further customize the test stand and truly ‘own’ the equipment.

• Testing Modes
  • Automated Mode
    • Single-click operator interface
    • Allows for the running of pre-defined testing sequences
    • Ideal for a production environment
  • Manual Mode
    • Unlocks full diagnostic capabilities of the test stand via on-demand user operations
    • Enables engineers to construct/debug new test sequences
    • Ideal for debugging or a research and development environment

Integration with DUT

An ability to interact with multiple DUTs was a crucial requirement from the customer, so DMC designed the test system to work for a variety of DUTs via a standard interface. In this case, the test system interacts with two primary DUTs:

1. Battery Modules
   • A collection of battery cells
2. Battery Packs
   • A collection of battery modules

A set of rugged, durable connectors for both high and low power DUT interaction expose the test system’s instrumentation and signal lines. These connections points are routed to the DUT via a connector harness which allows for any future devices to interact with the system for the relatively low cost of creating a new harness. Furthermore, multiple types of measurements can be brought out on each connector enabling the test system to take a variety of measurements without having to change wiring connections manually.

For each DUT type and model number, the customer can define a unique routine built upon existing test types. This style of DUT-agnostic electromechanical design adds value to the test station as it becomes a flexible testing asset, thus eliminating the need to create a unique tester for each product.

Database Integration & Logging

MES Database Integration

DMC worked in parallel with the client’s engineering teams to integrate with an existing Manufacturing Execution System (MES) database. When an operator scans a barcode on the device under test, a query is made to the MES database to obtain a model number and automatically select which set of verification tests to run on the DUT.

Rest API & TDMS Logging

DMC implemented a variety of logging destinations for this test system. Detailed logs of system operation and internal variable changes are logged to a TDMS file while the system is operating.

Additionally, DMC worked with client software architecture teams to develop a database schema which captured the results of an automated test sequence. We utilized REST API calls to push data to this database and tested the functionality from both a simulated test stand and actual test stand environment to verify successful integration.

Project Outcome

DMC delivered two test systems to the client’s new manufacturing facility, and the modern test systems have paved the way for the consistent and reliable end-of-line testing of the client’s products.

Click Here for more information on DMCs latest generation of Battery Production Test systems.

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