Industry 4.0 solutions – IT networking via Arburg host computer system ALS

The prerequisite for efficient regulation and control of machines, automation and the entire manufacturing process from an Industry 4.0 perspective is the IT-networking of production with a high-performance MES, which is directly connected to the company network via a PPS or ERP interface. This allows injection moulding companies to collect, process, analyse and archive all the relevant order, machine, set-up, process and quality data.

Complete traceability for safety-critical industries
With Industry 4.0 and a host computer system such as ALS, production processes can be designed more efficiently, flexibly and transparently. Further advantages are reduced unit costs and increased process reliability. Integrating the customer and his requirements in the added value chain enables completely new business models to be realised and high-volume parts to be individualised. Batches and individual parts can be traced on a 100 percent basis, which is a requirement in safety-critical industries such as medical technology and the automotive sector.

ALS specifically designed for injection moulding
Arburg first presented a fully automated production system with no manual set-up processes, consisting of several linked injection moulding machines at the K international trade fair in 1986. The system was already controlled by an early version of the host computer system ALS and has been continuously further developed and manufactured by Arburg ever since.
Today, ALS is a central building block for Industry 4.0. This MES from Arburg, specifically designed for injection moulding companies, enables complete traceability and archiving of orders and batches, the planning of maintenance orders and the creation of reports and key figures. ALS brings the IT world into production with web-based, mobile applications and has developed and built exactly the hardware and software that injection moulders need. This is an excellent place to start into digitalisation.

Online organisation: the Arburg host computer system (ALS) enables comprehensive IT networking of moulded part production and is a key component of Industry 4.0.

Connectivity via OPC UA
An important key word is connectivity. Various injection moulding machines can be easily networked using a standardised approach via interfaces based on the communication platform OPC UA, which Arburg has been using for ALS since 2010. ALS in turn is connected directly to the company network via a PPS or ERP interface. However, moulds, material supply and other peripheral equipment as well as upstream and downstream machine technology such as punching systems or assembly lines can also be integrated.

Mobile analysis of key parameters
The major advantage of the ALS is its modular structure. The basic expansion stages for machine and operating data acquisition (MDA and ODA) form the basis. These can be freely combined and extended across various expansion stages. The three possible information areas can be subdivided into status data (operating modes, alarms and fault causes), operating data (parts counter, programme, mould and order information) and process parameters (actual process values from the injection moulding cycle). It is possible to integrate all makes of injection moulding machine as well as production systems, even across several locations.Thus, ALS is also interesting for small and medium sized companies.
To ensure that ALS data is available anywhere in real time, as and when required, authorised persons can access their internal company network at any time using their smartphone. Thanks to “ALS Mobile”, they have the facts at their fingertips at all times, for example during a meeting or when a customer asks when his components will be ready. The analysis tool is particularly useful for just-in-time suppliers and production managers seeking to utilise their personnel and machines as efficiently as possible. The more smoothly each system runs and the greater its degree of utilisation, the more earnings it generates.
In order to continuously measure and control performance in production planning, the current OEE values, for example, can be transmitted via a smartphone. This Overall Equipment Efficiency, a quotient based on quality, efficiency and availability, provides an indication of value added, from individual machines and locations through to total production. Furthermore, the ALS analysis tool provides insights into current cycle times, running orders, shifts, batches, unit volumes and the current utilisation level of the machine fleet.
Further useful ALS modules are e.g. “Energy Visualisation” for order-specific allocation and display of energy data and "Mobile Maintenance". With maintenance and servicing via mobile devices, the user receives an overview of the due tasks on site and can for example change the maintenance status and acknowledge test points directly online.