Page 44 - FoodFocusThailand No.168 March 2020

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OMAC Opinion

on The Automation

and Productivity in 4.0 Era

How much Interest in Automation in The Industry?
Manufacturers in the meat and poultry industry are under pressure to
make their operations as efficient as possible - it’s a way of developing
a competitive edge and maintaining profitability. There has been a recent
upsurge of interest in plant automation, plant interconnectivity and
software solutions that can push the boundaries.

How has OMAC Helped in Process Automation?
Production equipment is a large investment for manufacturers. In addition
to the initial machine cost, manufacturers then have to pay integrators
to “connect” all of the equipment. This can be a difficult, time consuming
and costly exercise and is often responsible for projects running behind
schedule. PackML is an industry technical standard, created by OMAC,
and defines a consistent way to control and automate packaging
machinery. Rather than manufacturers investing in costly equipment
integration, PackML aims to make integration a “plug and play” exercise. An Example of This in Action
In a typical meat processing plant, facilitating the efficient and effective
How does This Link to Industry 4.0 and The Internet transfer of data between locations on the factory floor is critical. When
of Things? PackML is combined with a protocol like OPC UA, a pro duction
Industry 4.0 or the digitalization of the manufacturing industry, describes manager can monitor the performance of a metal detector on a
smart manufacturing and smart factory initiatives where production lines production line remotely from his location. He is able to stay in control
are fully autonomous and self-organizing. The specifics of such solutions of processes and make informed decisions based on up-to-date
are still in the process of being defined by the industry but it’s clear that information.
standardized information models and connectivity for machines are a
fundamental enabler. This need is supported by PackML and the OPC What Other Changes do you see on The horizon
UA Companion Specification. for The Industry?
OMAC and its members have identified and are currently working on
How does This Support Meat Processors and a number of areas of interest for future standardization. We are actively
Packers? evaluating a number of proposed initiatives within the OMAC
The tools I refer to provide an ideal way of consistently quantifying Packaging Workgroup and are prioritizing according to the perceived
performance, downtime and ultimately the OEE (overall equipment needs of OMAC members and the wider industry.
effectiveness) of a machine or line. The set of PackTags are rich enough The Packaging Workgroup is committed to creating the next
to allow for complex custom definitions of OEE and can provide actionable PackML revision (PackML 2020) to ensure continued support for the
insights into reducing unplanned downtime and easing performance latest Industry 4.0 and loT initiatives. We are also actively working on
bottlenecks. standardized HMI designs and OEE definitions.

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