Where and how work MES solutions?

Without Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) there is no Industrie 4.0 and IoT possible. If, today and in future, an effective automated production is required, there is no getting around MES – with no ifs or buts.

The principle is clear: MES solutions support the efficient use of ressources, assure quality, control packaging logistics and meet the required delivery deadlines.

MES provides competitive advantage and ensures optimum product quality.

Operational management support

MES solutions make their name especially at the production progress and its precise schedule. This is only possible with forward-looking planning: a feature that is comprised in good MES solutions. MES modules modify the production schedule depending on the process capability, customer request or availablity of ressources.

MES solutions are able to plan and modify work processes for machines and are also able to revert to the necessary ressources. Here we have to differentiate between to types of ressources: Consumption ressources such as energy and production material and other ressources such as machines, equipment and tools.

Also human beings belong to the latter named ressources. Its application fields and its special requirements to the production process are an especially tricky task for MES modules.

Human resources potential

The human being with its characteristics is still  one of the most important factors in automatically performed production processes. According to ability people can be deployed in different production processes – as a user or operator of the production, work hours and absences (shift, sickness and holiday) have to be considered and also the service time of employees at other machines in the production process.

For MES solutions and their application fields the following is important: The more complex and the more transparent the information about the ressources (the human being in this case) is, the more efficient the mode of action of the MES module will be in the production process.

The aim is that human beings can fully harness their high grade of flexibility at various stages of the production process when MES is used for production.

Comparison of sources of error

The use of MES modules involves a modern and very reliable quality management which can be understood when looking for potential or already existing errors.

In every production process defects and errors will occur that ristrict and endanger production. These stoppages and their causes and the relating quality losses have to be detected and resolved.

It is the task of MES to detect errors directly when they occur by means of permanently collected information and not when the product has already been produced defectively. Still better: MES is able to detect potential sources of errors.

For this type of quality managemt MES collects electronical patch tickets from inspection processes and testing processes that support an error analysis and speed up the repair process. Production stopps are reduced significantly and are eliminated completely if necessary.

Preventive maintenance

Another important field of MES solutions is the improvement of the maintenance strategy at the used machines. In this area underestimated potential for disruption can be found that may disrupt or interrupt produciton processes to a considerable degree. Therefore economy is reduced. Downtimes are extremely costly, no matter why the production has stopped.

MES processes information from every production section and is able to suggest preventive maintenance operations. This may be the lubricaton of machine parts or even the exchange of whole parts: MES modules can reduce unnecessary prophylactic maintenance work to a minimum and can detect and demand the essential maintenance work.

MES maintenance tools are usually mobile applicable and are important tools and information for the attending technician.

It will not work wothout MES

In a modern production company Manufacturing Execution Systems should not be missed anymore. Using MESmeans that significantly more economical production processes are possible. The competitive situation will improve in the medium to long term – Industrie 4.0, Smart Factory and IoT can not be accomplished or realized without MES.