Our client, a market leader in the automotive industry, reached out to DMC for our SCADA and HMI programming expertise. They were looking to upgrade the existing system controlling their automotive paint line with an integrated Ignition SCADA system. DMC configured this system to automatically collect data from the existing seven S7-300 PLCs and Wonderware HMI. Once the data was collected, it was stored in a MySQL database where it could then be analyzed by the user.
When analyzing the data, the user can select a timeframe and Ignition will then automatically calculate all KPIs (key performance indicators) over that time, as well as perform OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) calculations. This allows for both extensive analysis and flexible, easily manipulatable data. Now, the client can examine their key metrics in many different ways and gain powerful insight into their production line.
Along with automated data collection and analysis, DMC customized the Ignition system to create alarm reports. Both the Wonderware alarm database and the Ignition system stored separate alarms, but they needed to be analyzed cohesively. As a solution, DMC developed a custom script to parse through the Wonderware alarm data and format it so it could merge with the Ignition alarms. This provided the client with a much more holistic view of their production process.
In addition to importing and formatting Wonderware alarms, the Ignition system automatically analyzed the alarms by placing them in groups and associating the recorded downtimes with each group. The client now has a clear, concise alarm report showing which alarms were causing the most downtime and an exact breakdown of the production line’s pain points—giving them the tools to make informed decisions for increasing productivity and efficiency.
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