THREAD has developed a hardware/software system for data collection in a key production plant, with the aim of enabling the digital transformation of a company made of machines from different technologies and generations, interconnecting the MES software and optimising production.
The company is one of the leaders in the key business market. Its machines shop is the result of different purchases made over several years, and is composed of machines for the production of keys both fully mechanical and electromechanical (equipped with CN or PLC).
In order to optimise production and allow the correct packaging of predefined quantities of keys in boxes, it was essential to collect deterministically data from the machines. Another requirement was enabling the interconnection with the superior level as to manage the warehouse and production orders efficiently, in addition to record the plant’s operation history. All must be in full compliance with Industry 4.0 requirements.
To do this, THREAD took care of the electrical design and development of the cabling needed to collect signals from the machines, and route them to a PLC that acts as a concentrator for centralised data collection. In this way, the company can now know the actual quantity of keys manufactured by each machine, trace their production path and arrange for them to be correctly boxed, without any risk of manual transcription error.
Thanks to this project, which has been operational since the end of 2018, THREAD demonstrated its ability to support the integration of all types of machines, and to make data available centrally for cross reference with MES systems and for strategic performance analysis.