Machine Equipment Communication in MES Systems

The answer to this question is a variable answer. An answer that varies according to who is trying to include. Almost all manufacturing machines can be included. As a type, CNC, Injection, Press, Press Brake, Press Brake, Filling, Packaging, Laser cutting, Punto, Production line, robotic arm, Welding machines, Control machines can be included in every machine type MES system. The topology changes only according to the technology on it and the variety of data to be collected. Data can be collected from sensors, relays, switches, mechanical movements of the machine, as well as information can be collected from the PLC within its capability.

Are the age, brand and capabilities of the machines and equipment to be integrated into MES Systems important?

The age, brand and capabilities of the machinery and equipment to be included in the MES System are not technically important. The only importance may be the limitation of the data to be taken. For example, all technical data on a 30-year-old machine can be obtained through additional sensors or by using relays to bring the signal to the desired level. On a new machine, the variety of data may increase. All data is extracted from the PLC or DCS system with the help of industrial protocol and this data can be used to increase productivity. We gave an example from a 30-year-old machine. The importance of even a signal to be received through this machine is very important for the efficiency of the machine. A signal that we will receive and process can increase the efficiency of the machine, our industrialist or SME partners can be competitive due to increasing their production in their own market, they can use the resource they will use in the machine investment in another investment.

It can be integrated with all systems from old technology to the latest system technology.

We are in the age of communication.

Most of us have experienced those dark times when SMS limited to 160 characters were seriously charged, we remember it was not so long ago.

Now we can video chat with 5-6 people simultaneously and share files at a much lower cost. Let's think about how much the amount of data sent has grown from 160-character text SMS to today...

Imagine the data your phone collects about you during a 30-minute drive in the city center (road conditions, weather, speed, heart rate and blood pressure with the help of the clock, what is being said, which gas station you stopped at, etc.). How much more than the data you generated 15 years ago electronically!

However, the you of 15 years ago and the you of today are the same, but look at the increase in the amount of data generated through you.

This band widening in communication has also happened in production areas.

The graph shows the available bandwidth by year. The linear increase is continuous and we have a bandwidth 100 times wider than 15 years ago.

Of course, the machines, which used to only turn on the green andon light when they were running and the red andon light when they stopped, have more to say. Data sharing has increased. But let's not forget that Data has increased at every point. With IoT and 4.5G, every device, every equipment, every sensor has become constantly transmitting data.

This has led to the creation of big data. In this abundance of data, our focus should be on collecting, interpreting and inferring an action with minimum human effort and intervention. This does not end with collecting the data and exporting it to a point. It does not end with communicating with all the machines and equipment in the field.

Integration with other software, especially ERP, is required. It should allow cross check queries and retrospective reporting with them. It must be in communication with other machines of different models and technologies. Information must be traceable from every platform.

In short, in today's world where we talk about big data, collecting data is only the beginning of this work, not the end point, so that your machine's data collection can be a solution.

The end point is to autonomously collect and interpret accurate and fast data from every machine and every equipment, and to ensure that action is taken by communicating with all necessary lower and upper systems bilaterally. While providing traceability. Your machine is collecting the data on it, but this is not enough today.

Of course, PLC systems of machinery and equipment can be utilized. In terms of data diversity and transferring this data to the MES system will add much more benefit. However, there is no possibility that the data on the PLC can be obtained from every machine with a PLC. First, the PLC must have a port to communicate with the industrial communication protocol. Secondly, the PLC must be able to store and evaluate the required data on itself. Finally, it must allow us to pull this data from the data blocks in the PLC. Which data block has which data in which data block, these situations make our work very easy. Previously, information could not be obtained and used from the PLC (Programmable Logic Control) manufacturer. But then all manufacturers standardize with the use of OPC communication protocol. For example, HMI software can be developed as standard for all PLCs.

OPC Server: OPC server is a protocol converter that converts the communication system that does not comply with the OPC standard to the OPC standard. OPC servers (OPC Server) have been developed for many devices, especially PLCs.

As in the image below, it shows the data transfer process from the hardware to the upper system using OPC Server.

Finally, if we cannot receive data using the protocols mentioned above. It allows signals to be received using the IO Box device developed by our company.

In such a case, we make it possible to receive data by making external sensor connections on the machine as in the pictures.

If our machine is a mass production machine, cycle time information is important to measure its efficiency. Secondly, the amount of energy it consumes can be taken if it is important on a machine basis. Even these two data can provide the efficiency of the machine and make it competitive for the manufacturer.

The data that can be obtained may vary according to the machine and the expectation from the MES system.

Machine production counter information or data that we can see cycle time such as production m/min.

Information that our machine is running/stopping.

Mechanical/Electrical failure (This information can be diversified if data is received via PLC. If not, manual input can be provided by the personnel).

Machine feeding insufficient and output full data.

Wastage and actual production values in machine production, if the machine stops but the reason for this stop is not a malfunction, the reasons for this can be entered by the personnel.

We can integrate a wide range of data such as quantity information and weight information into the system.

As you can see from the pictures, we have realized many projects in different application areas.

As in the panel definition of one of our partners, we also have a flexible program structure that connects many signals to our system.

The data can be received from a PLC with a communication port on the PLC. The communication port can be used with MODBUS RTU, ASCII, OPC or MODBUS TCP/UDP communication modes with RS485 bus. If this communication path is used, we must be informed what data is available at which address. This data can also be received via PROFIBUS or PROFINET. We must be informed about the permission to participate in the PROFIBUS or PROFINET network and what the information in the required data block addresses belongs to. Over CANBUS 2.0B protocol, we can also pull a lot of data from the machine in line with the information transferred to us and evaluate it for use in the MES system. The aforementioned PROFIBUS, PROFINET, RS485, MODBUS, OPC and RS232 protocols already have a 90 - 95% usage rate in the industry. Working with all of these protocols allows us to collect data autonomously from all machines as we answered in the previous question. In his previous speech, Mr. Mert conveyed the necessary information for OPC, and with current communication protocols, we can get much more data fast and accurate results.

Yes, it can be done. For example, in our applications, the work order planned from the upper system; The operator starts working with the work order to be selected from the operator panel screen; The MES System automatically receives the machine parameters for the relevant product and operation connected with the ERP system and automatically sets the machine to the best parameters. In other words, by using the PLC communication of the machines, it allows us to get all the information about the machine, production and malfunctions by talking to the machines, and it turns into a plannable, efficient machine park and an efficient factory instead of quality and time losses due to manual operations. With this communication, your company takes an important step towards the transition to a smart factory, making your job much easier in the transformation to new technologies.

Of course, if we increase the efficiency of use in the equipment and expect the equipment to have this feature automatically, the cost of the equipment will increase a lot. If we want the control feature within the MES system in many equipment, we are at a level to add this feature to most of the equipment within the possibilities.

Regardless of the machine park of our partners, even if there is no data communication protocol on it, the data desired to be obtained from the machine can be obtained with externally connectable sensors. The received data are evaluated by the IO Box and NGP operator panels that we have made ourselves, and the signals coming from the upper system are transformed in a way that ERP and MES systems can understand and create the necessary outputs for work orders.

When the operator reaches the number of production in the work order; We can apply different scenarios such as audible and light warning, machine stop, triggering another machine with the IO Box we have produced in line with the request of our partner.

Our IO Box device we have produced;

In the pictures below, we have completed the transformations by installing the necessary sensors in systems where communication and communication is not possible.

If we give an example from a project from the automotive sector. With the smart wristband we have developed, we have turned it into a system that our MES system can control. There are smart wristbands with this feature, but the figures that companies will pay per product are very high. Our partners already prefer us in this respect. Based on this example, we can turn many equipment into equipment that can be controlled by the job-specific MES system within the possibilities.

The speed of technology is increasing day by day, that is, it is accelerating, and with this, the expectations from every product produced are also increasing.

Faster production, higher quality production, more diverse production, customized production, etc.

It is important not to lose flexibility while digitalizing. It is important to be able to adapt easily and quickly to the changes in demand I mentioned above. It is important not to lose this feature.

For example, robotization is preferred today due to error-free production and long working times, but it should not be ignored that it can reduce flexibility as it responds to the changes in production that I have just mentioned in a more laborious, costly and long time.

The architecture of the MES system used comes to the fore here. This architecture should allow flexibility and not prevent transformation. In addition, it is important that the MES system supplier can also develop and produce hardware solutions within its own organization. Because when the need for transformation is felt, it should be able to offer that technology without losing time and effort.

Along with the above demands, the machinery, equipment, hardware required for MES, peripherals, etc. that will produce these products, of course, have a technological life. Hardware that is extremely powerful today will be insufficient after a certain period of time. I/O BOX, sensors, etc. used for machine communication in MES systems. The lifespan of equipment is extremely long if they are industrial products. I can state that HMI panels, which we can say have relatively the shortest life span, have an average life span of 10 years or more on a general scale. Considering that the ROI in MES systems is 2-2.5 years, these are very reasonable periods. At the end of this period, the MES supply partner must be able to offer the company the optimum solution at the ideal price and features. The architecture of the MES system used must have this flexibility.

Not only machines and equipment can be included, we can even include people in addition to these. In fact, developing technology is the pioneer of what we will add to the MES system. For example, thanks to smart wristbands, we can send notifications that mean various meanings to a staff member, such as image light sound vibration. We can get feedback from the staff through this wristband. We can receive various data from AGV transportation systems with automatic guidance that we encounter in various production factories and send various commands to these AGV transportation vehicles. We can direct our personnel at assembly tables in line with work orders.

Thanks to the brand-independent electronic system we have developed, we have projected a system that saves quality, time and money by implementing the technology that enables our partner to take a big step in error-freeing. Thanks to the smart juicer we have developed, which performs serial work on the belt in line with their demands and the cost of returning in error is very high, it is to fall as a work order to the personnel working in line with the plans made from the upper system. When the personnel starts the work and wants to produce a new product, with the help of the information coming from the sensors, it is transmitted to the smart juicer where it is working in line with the planned work in order without causing any confusion, and when the personnel completes the work, the smart juicer gives feedback and transmits the registration information to the system. If there is a situation where the operator cannot complete the job, he/she can select the reason why he/she cannot complete the job on the panel and skip to the next job, alarm the system or stop the system. In this way, the data collected is reported and it has provided many convenience in terms of where time is lost, whether the pressing is done in the right quantities or which product is the problematic product. The setup can be shaped according to our partner.