Company name: Texen Poland Sp. z o.o.
Business profile: Plastic processing – production of packaging for cosmetics.
Key information about the client:
- 170 employees
- 6,500 m² of plant area
- Certyfikacja ISO 9001:2015
- Certyfikacja ISO 14001:2015
- 25 injection molding lines
Scope of implementation:
The project included the implementation of the Aplixcom SCADA-MES system and its integration with the ERP system (initially Sysklass, later SAP). Supplier data: APLIXCOM Solutions +48 (12) 376 95 99, 607 400 534, scada-mes.com
Initial state and assumptions:
The plant in Poland is part of the international Texen Group, headquartered in France. The primary goal and reason for starting the project was to align the company with the group standard for production monitoring. There were also plans to switch the ERP system to SAP at an undetermined time in the future. The timeline for the SAP implementation was not fully known when the decision to adopt a MES system was made. The client anticipated losing some functionalities of the existing ERP system due to its long-term use, which had resulted in many custom functionalities.
The first option considered was adopting the MES system already implemented at other Texen Group sites. However, this system had very limited monitoring and reporting options. Additionally, it only allowed communication with production stations through a single, specified port.
The client decided to search for a different MES provider, guided by the following key parameters:
• Maintaining key additional functionalities of the ERP system by transferring them to the SCADA-MES system,
• Flexibility in communication between the SCADA-MES system and production machines (the competing system could only communicate via the EUROMAP 63 standard),
• The role of Aplixcom SCADA-MES was to monitor and assist with production accounting, supervise product quality, and provide real-time support,
• Data storage on the company’s own servers and access to an SQL database,
• Future integration capability with the SAP system.
After presenting the capabilities of the SCADA-MES system that met the client’s requirements, the solution was presented to the headquarters. It was accepted, and the implementation project began.
Current state and execution:
The SCADA-MES system was implemented and launched in 2018.
A bidirectional interface was built to exchange data between the implemented solution and the ERP system. The ERP system provided information regarding production orders, the technological data required for execution, and the status of the orders. The SCADA-MES system, in turn, sent information about changes in production stations and the start dates of orders. The ERP system retained its primary role, continuing to handle the material accounting of orders.
Before the system was implemented, production planning was done using Excel files, so starting work in the PLANNER module represented a significant qualitative change. Key advantages include:
• Real-time updates on changes to the production plan,
• Easy drag-and-drop planning,
• Handling separate retooling orders,
• Machine calendar management,
• Visualization of order progress and machine statuses for planners,
• The ability to adjust production speed relative to standard performance.
The main task of the system was, of course, monitoring machine operating times and the actual production rate. The TCP/IP protocol was adopted as the standard for machine/MES communication. In addition to core functions, certain ERP functionalities were transferred to the system. The most important of these are:
- A built-in SCADA-MES=>ERP interface that transfers real-time information about physically produced parts and defects. Operators can declare containers and scrap materials,
• Label printing at every workstation,
• The ability to design custom labels for individual containers,
• Defect categorization.
Client benefits:
The system additionally enabled:
- Reporting the reasons for machine downtimes,
- Collecting data on production rates and process parameters, with seven key technological parameters tracked alongside machine operating times (e.g., temperature),
- Reporting retooling times,
- Recording quality control results,
- Monitoring incomplete containers (the ERP system could only register full logistics containers, leaving incomplete containers invisible in the system),
- Handling electronic documentation on machines,
- An interface for importing new users from the ERP system,
- Generating technical support requests for production stations.
Thanks to the Charts and Reports module, the client gained:
- Access to standard reports, allowing individual users to review saved data. Each report can be exported to Excel for further processing,
- Access to the SQL database (users with the necessary skills can create their own reports).
The SCADA-MES system implementation also covered the maintenance area. Key benefits include:
- Monitoring of injection molds,
- Locking the production reporting screens during machine breakdowns,
- Real-time transmission of machine downtime (breakdown) information to the PLANNER,
- An alert and notification mechanism that automatically informs the relevant person (via SMS or email) of any incident.
Summary
The system functioned in this form until 2021, when the ERP system was replaced with SAP. Aplixcom rose to the challenge and prepared new interfaces in collaboration with the SAP implementation team. This resulted in the following changes:
PLANNER:
It became an interface for transferring orders from SAP to SCADA-MES, losing its role as a planning tool. This decision was not due to a desire to change the system; rather, it was a standard adopted across all factories. If planning within the system had been possible, such a decision would likely have been made.
SCADA-MES:
The data transfer interface was modified—daily summary information on good/bad parts and machine downtimes is now sent once per day. This change was made to align with the existing SAP interface.
For production operators, this system change was seamless. The previously transferred functionalities did not disrupt production work. This is undoubtedly a success, as maintaining functionalities and reporting within the SCADA-MES system was a primary goal.
In the future, the goal was for the system to remain non-invasive in the production area in the event of an ERP system change.
As someone directly overseeing the system, receiving feedback and suggestions, I know that the system is dynamic and invaluable for gathering production data. However, it is important to remember that systems of this class are merely tools. To truly benefit from the data collected by such systems, one must have a clear strategy for how to use that data. The extent to which we, as users, can "extract" value from the system directly impacts the business outcome.
Company name: Major Sp. z o.o.Business profile: machining of components using CNC technology Scope of implementation: ERP system and SCADA-MES solution Supplier details: APLIXCOM Solutions
Company name: Borg Automotive Sp. z o.o.Business profile: Automotive parts regenerationScope of implementation: SCADA-MES system and a series of modifications aimed atadapting the standard version
