PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2016

TRADE SHOW PREVIEW 80 PET planet Insider Vol. 17 No. 10/16 www.petpla.net Piovan supervision software for the smart factory Winfactory 4.0 This is not a new version of the historic Winfactory, which Piovan launched in 2008 as the first remote factory moni- toring and control instrument. This new application is sup- posed to be ready for “Industrie 4.0”, the group of protocols and technologies, being implemented, that constitutes the core of the 4. industrial revolution: the digital manufacturing. The integration between the pro- duction, distribution and information structures of the manufacturing indus- try is the key Smart Factory concept. Piovan has implemented this with the evolution of its process control and management software based on the “Industrie 4.0” guidelines, creat- ing communication networks with an exchange capacity well ahead of schedule (2020) to allow for connec- tions between the various parts of the technological ecosystem. Ready to communicate Winfactory 4.0 uses OPC-UA (Open Platform Communication - Unified Architecture), the protocol selected by “Industrie 4.0” before issu- ing the Smart Factory specifications: developed by the OPC Foundation in 2015, it defines the communication rules and data exchange between the various entities that make up the system. Thanks to the use of this protocol, Winfactory 4.0 makes it possible to supervise and ensure dialogue between Piovan machines and machines of other manufacturers (OEM). There is no longer the need for an interface that “translates” the data provided by each device into a common format: the information exchange becomes immediate and the various systems can interact inde- pendently. A similar communication platform allows access and use of the software on tablets and smartphones. Despite the complexity of the techno- logical challenge that Piovan under- took, Winfactory 4.0 allows the utmost flexibility in managing equipment and processes. Advanced management of energy use In parallel with the development of Winfactory 4.0, Piovan created a group of integrated functions that allow for the control of very accu- rate operative parameters to be used to manage factory energy sources: knowing how and why they are used for each individual process based on the production volumes, the efficiency level of their use is determined. The data volumes necessary to identify the KPI and best practices to adopt to optimise energy consumption, just one of the factors that greatly influ- ences production costs, can be col- lected quickly from various factories that are far from one another. This is the Big Data collection and analysis concept, made sector-specific to meet the needs of Piovan’s clients. Winfactory 4.0: configurations Based on the type of industrial processing, Winfactory 4.0 can be configured in several ways. Piovan developed different modules to manage each situation, from the production of PET to flexible film preforms or preforms for specific sec- tors like the medical and automotive industries with a completely customis- able setup for each aspect based on the particular type of process. The energy configuration is not specific for the plastic sector, but is focused on monitoring the use of energy based on the type of industry and can be integrated in all superior configurations. The possibilities of Winfactory are further extended by a series of optional and on-demand functions and services like, for exam- ple, tracking, OPC-UA server, remote assistance, line power, formula, production and necessary material reordering management. The system itself automatically manages the use of the lines based on what and how much must be produced, for example, by selecting to maintain the lowest possible critical level. For example, producing a lot with a certain formula is more convenient if it can be done at a factory that was already used for the same type of mix, since there are fewer interventions necessary to clean the machines. With the instal- lation of the OPC-UA protocol, both the basic and additional Winfactory 4.0 features can be made available on the machines, systems and automa- tion devices not produced by Piovan and can interface directly with the management system at the individual plant as well as the company network. In this way, information can be shared between the various systems and data can be collected to optimise the processes, creating the Smart Factory of the fourth industrial revolution. Pio- van’s new Winfactory 4.0 will allow for the optimisation of all processes, the qualitative improvement of production and evolution towards more efficient manufacturing in the use of global energy resources. www.piovan.com Piovan Hall 9 Booth C59