OCTOBER 20168 MANUFACTURINGTECHNOLOGYINSIGHTS.COMThe key to achieving the performance and quality benchmarks that define Industry 4.0 is giving people on the front line the insight to take action when it needs to be taken.Workers on the production line need the tools to catch errors, flaws and anomalies as they occur, at any station. This data must be visualized for easy interpretation by people other than a quality engineer, so they can understand the issue and take swift corrective action. Having the means to catch and address problems where and when they occur is crucial to continuous process improvement. It cuts scrap and rework, and the risk of costly warranty repairs or mass recalls that can tarnish a brand's reputation. But to achieve this, key stations on the line must be equipped to collect, analyze and visualize data at a granular level beyond the capabilities of a conventional manufacturing execution system (MES) tied into an enterprise resource planning (ERP) suite.According to Frost and Sullivan, this is a deeper layer of intelligence Manufacturing Performance and Quality Management (MP&QM).Capturing the `DNA' of a processTypical MES systems rely on SPC (statistical process control) and gather only scalar data. These are isolated data points from each process on a production line such max torque or final spindle angle. Testing stations may be just binary propositions--green light, pass, red light, fail.We talk to manufacturers all the time that struggle with this superficial level of data collection to improve quality and first-time yield. They need to collect more data from each process on the line, but their MES system doesn't have the functionality to deliver or the capacity to ingest it.An MP&QM system is designed to take data collection and analysis to a new level, for full birth history trace the ability of every part that carries a serial number. This is accomplished by capturing the complete waveform of a process--not a few, but thousands of data points per cycle.Where SPC plays its role to provide a top-level overview of the performance of processes on the line, MP&QM captures the full "DNA" of each process.From leak test, to rundown operations or sealant and adhesive dispensing, this provides immediate visibility into the impact of part and process variations, and the interaction between processes. It allows for parts to be re-tested in a virtual digital You need to go deeper than MES ­ is your data model ready?By Mathew Daniel, VP-Operations, Sciemetric InstrumentsIN MY OPINIONMathew Daniel
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