For Tier 1 automotive parts suppliers, product quality and delivery performance are essential for retaining their position. Advantech’s new generation UNO-2000 embedded automation computers enable manufacturers to upgrade existing machine controls to provide reliable connectivity and improved performance. The compact UNO-2000 series is also size and price competitive.
Production pinch points and unplanned downtime leading to lost production are expensive. Losses can include production time, wasted energy and raw materials and the scrapping of finished parts. Moreover, this may damage the supplier’s reputation or lead to financial penalties for missing targets or even cancellation. Furthermore, if the manufacturer of the part runs round-the-clock operations, there is less time for them to catch up.
One European manufacturer needed help to track their production status and main alarms for two large stamping presses. They needed to optimise production, improve their alarm system, and collect key data for enhanced predictive maintenance. They previously employed a pen-and-paper control system. As a result, maintenance personnel and production directors were often unaware of any production or quality issues. Under the existing system, complete processing of production reports could take up to twelve hours after a problem arose. This was unacceptable, as when one of the presses went down, the factory lost money. To address this, maintenance staff required a system that would locate and diagnose problems and get production back online fast.
They wanted to track all production parts and orders throughout the workflow while maintaining the status of seventeen alarm signals. They decided to install affordable, industrial-grade hardware to connect the signal outputs from the stamping presses. Moreover, the hardware needed to be flexible and powerful enough for customised software installation.
Embedded Automation Computer
Each press was more than twenty years old and although one used a PLC, control of the other was by customised electronic boards. They used a media converter to convert all signals and protocols to Modbus. In the new system, an ADAM-4017 provided analogue signals from the electronic boards to Advantech’s UNO-2272G-J2AE palm-sized automation computer. Special Advantech UNO-2000 functions such as field protocol recognition make them suitable for data gateway, concentrator and data server applications. The performance model shortens development time and offers several networking interfaces to fulfil a diverse range of requirements. The new UNO-2000 series includes several compact form-factors for different kinds of smart factory applications.
Outcome
The selection of Advantech products was because they offered the best features and value when compared to other market alternatives. The local system integrator helped the customer by leveraging the computing power, industrial-grade specifications, and connection possibilities of Advantech’s products. In particular, the UNO-2272G was a good fit for this project because of its flexible connection options. The Ethernet capability of the Modbus TCP/IP, coupled with its processing and storage capabilities, allowed it to run a Linux distribution system in addition to the customer’s own software. Moreover, the UNO-2272G’s compact size and rugged design made it particularly suitable for the factory environment.
The enhanced performance now allows them to focus on improving production rather than spending their time on corrective actions. Future projects include upgrading all work cells in the factory to implement a total predictive maintenance system.
