Texcomp Technologies

Manufacturing Execution System (TexMES)

In-Process Intelligence

Manufacturers face many competitive challenges in responding to the global marketplace of the nineties. Market demands for greater product variety with increased quality at lower cost have placed significant pressure on manufacturing executives. Managers must reduce costs, improve yields and quality, and deliver goods to the customer faster - while the rate of new product introductions escalate. At the same time, customers and government agencies are demanding more precise production/process record keeping.

Texcomp Technologies
Industrial managers and consultants agree that control of the manufacturing floor is the key to better competitive performance. Traditionally, manufacturers have employed Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems for planning resources and materials to feed the manufacturing floor. These planning systems, however, stop short of providing the capabilities needed to execute manufacturing floor operations.

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) best describes the category of manufacturing software which addresses the plant floor environment. MES software provides the critical link to fill the information gap between the ERP business systems and manufacturing operations. Using "In-Process Intelligence", MES systems by Texcomp build in critical business and process logic to make the operation run smoother, faster, with better decisions on resource (people, equipment, materials) utilization.

MES delivers key manufacturing floor control, enabling managers and users to:
  • Achieve a plant-wide view of the entire manufacturing environment through tracking and control of all orders, materials, operators, processes and equipment.
  • Implement consistent manufacturing procedures and documentation.
  • Collect and analyze quality and yield data for continuous process improvement.
  • Capture and store production history and tracking records to meet government or customer requirements.
  • Collect cost data which reflects the true activity-based costs of production.
  • Achieve integration and information exchange between the planning (ERP) and cell control (machine) level systems

The Next Generation in Manufacturing Execution Systems TexMES

Introduction

Texcomp's TexMES is a revolutionary, new Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for integrating and managing information from the factory floor. Built from the ground up as a native Windows NT application, TexMES is designed for manufacturing enterprises and system suppliers and integrators responsible for delivering production management and factory automation solutions.

Filling the Plant Gap

Texcomp Technologies		 An increasing number of manufacturing enterprises have purchased Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and implemented corporate customer service and supply chain applications. IT staffs are now looking to the next major step - integrating the manufacturing plants.

However, IT is running directly into the gulf between enterprise and plant-level environments and systems - what we term the "Plant Gap". TexMES fills this Plant Gap left by ERP, Supply Chain Management and Automation systems.

TexMES is uniquely suited as a common plant level solution across multiple plants in the enterprise - tailorable to the specific needs of each plant, yet satisfying the enterprise's need for a standard supportable system.

TexMES represents a new generation of MES software built on a configurable, extensible application platform. TexMES enables the customers to use standard software across multiple plants to optimize production processes, maximize return on plant assets, and connect the plants into enterprise supply chains.


For management, TexMES delivers In-Process Intelligence as it:
  • Collects and organizes data from multiple sources on the plant floor and provides a configurable plant-wide information model of the factory.
  • Provides a consistent view of and control over critical manufacturing resources.
  • Connects the plant to the enterprise by integrating with business systems and providing enterprise-wide visibility to plant operations on a real-time basis.

Unlike other factory floor solutions, TexMES is fully configurable to fit each manufacturing environment, integrates easily with other factory systems (HMI, automation, and controls), and is upgradeable without redoing integration efforts.

TexMES - Taking Advantage of Technology

TexMES is built on the foundation of native services provided by the Windows NT operating system and is compatible with Microsoft's DNA (Distributed InterNet Architecture) for manufacturing. The architecture is object-oriented, multi-tiered, and distributed, and fully exploits COM/DCOM and ActiveX technologies. But that is only the start-Texcomp's designers built on and extended these technologies to deliver a uniquely configurable, yet standard MES application.

Factory Information Model

Built on the Application Platform, TexMES's advanced Factory Information Model is the source of MES application functions. TwxMES allows you to model the way the factory actually works, accounting for exception or non-standard workflows and managing all data-product, process, or resource related-generated by the manufacturing process. The model supports advanced features, such as:
  • Models complex workflows within the factory
  • Alternates routes and paths for product based on plant conditions
  • Automatic rework routing and quality dispositions
  • Product grading/binning Alternate processing of product based on parametric/test data conditions
  • User-configured logic for special handling
  • A rich set of transactions for recording and modeling actual product flow

Tracks products with multiple levels and multiple units of measure

TexMES can track multiple levels in a process (e.g., units within lots, lots within work orders, batches within packages, coils or rolls within orders)-simultaneously-as well as multiple unit-of- measures (e.g., cases and weight, linear feet and weight).

Handles discrete, batch, or continuous flow movement of product in the process

Product movement or flow can vary greatly for different manufacturing plants, or even within the same product flow. TexMES can handle all types of flow movement.

Collects quality or parametric data at any point in the process

TexMES includes all points in the manufacturing process where significant data must be collected, including quality, parametric, and machine data.

Supports product-centric or resource-centric views of production

For many manufacturing processes, production results are recorded by unit, batch, or work order. This is a product-centric view of the manufacturing process. For others processes, production is recorded against resources (machines) with product throughput or movement recorded as a by-product of the machine data collection (resource-centric view). TexMES allows either view of production-even within the same product flow.

Supports revision control for all critical manufacturing resources

TexMES allows you to concurrently manage multiple changes or revisions in the manufacturing process, including revision control for products, routings, specifications, instructions, data collection, machines, or any plant resource.

Distributed, Scalable Architecture

TexMES's architecture consists of multiple tiers: NT Client(s), NT Application Server(s), Data Server, and Database-all of which can operate on separate, physical computers

Workbench - Tailor Made solutions

For modeling and configuring the factory environment, TexMES provides the Workbench. Built on the Factory Information Model, the Workbench consists of a set of applications- Workflow Modeling, Object Configurator, User Management, and Security-for defining unique workflow models, managing application users and security, and configuring and customizing the MES objects and database.

Workflow Modeling lets you completely describe your manufacturing process-product flows, materials used, quality and test checks, resources planned, and specifications-in a unique and flexible object model. Through this model, the system collects and organizes critical data from the manufacturing floor in real-time.

From a single model, you can view your factory from both a resource-centric and a batch-centric point of view. For example, if work processed at one operation is geared to the capacity, throughput, and status of a machine resource, the data collected is from the machine's perspective (resource-centric). The data collected or made available for machines or operators might include setup instructions, setup measurements, current containers being processed, and machine status charts. If, on the other hand, the work at an operation is geared around individual batches of material, the data collected is from a batch or lot point of view (batch-centric) and might include batch-specific information, such as product, loss, and rework quantities.

Texcomp Technologies		 Through the use of configurable data objects and configurable logic flows, you can easily tailor the TexMES database and application logic to meet your special processing needs without modifying the base MES system. And by using the system-supplied, industry standard ActiveX interface, you can set up communications between TexMES and other floor devices (machines) and external systems.

TexMES integrates information that might currently exist in paper form only, or in multiple, disconnected systems on the floor. The user-defined factory information model is the single source that describes material tracking, specifications, resource (machine) control, quality data, and scheduling data. TexMES uses the collected data described in your workflow model to actually control what happens. Based on data collected, TexMES can warn operators or prevent processing if product quality is off-spec.

When put into action, TexMES provides complete visibility into all activities on the floor, from charts showing current in-process inventories, throughput, and yields, to detailed quality data collected for a specific batch of work or machine. TexMES delivers In-Process Intelligence by providing a real-time look at manufacturing operations to those employees requiring up-to-the-minute intelligence on which to base decisions-from operators, technicians, and engineers, to purchasing, scheduling, and accounting managers, to top executives. This instant access to what is happening on the shop floor enables managers and users to answer critical questions that require integrated data, like…

  • Which machines or resources have yield problems? And why?
  • How do product cost and yield correlate with quality and machine parametric data?
  • Which set of operators, machines, and specifications produces the best results for a specific product?

We understand the goals of modern Pharmaceutical Manufacturing:
  • Improve FDA compliance
  • Reduce the time and cost of compliance
  • Increase operations flexibility
  • Cut time to market by streamlining the manufacturing cycle
  • Improve Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)

Benefits to manufacturers

TexMES can :

  • Provide Material Genealogy and Traceability for each product back to its raw material lot
  • Display Dynamic Production Schedules to operators at their machine as well as other network users
  • Integrate with the wide variety of Enterprise Resource Planning, SCADA and maintenance systems
  • Reduce Downtime by reporting stoppages and reasons for machine downtime
  • Reduce Waste with accurate reporting of losses and reasons why
  • Provide a dynamic WIP Inventory of shop floor stock and location Display
  • On-screen Product Specifications and Operator Instructions
  • Provide Labor Hours and category recording for accurate job costing
  • Empower operators to take responsibility for efficiency, waste, material yield and more
  • On-line Reports on every job, machine, shift and product including live HTML
  • Intranet reports Create a live and accurate information system on all shop floor operations over the network.

The benefits in using TexMES is very real, measurable and will positively affect your productivity

Access production information in real time
  • Reduce cycle time
  • Reduce the paper work
  • Shorten time to market
  • WIP Inventory to track the whereabouts of active production
  • Make decisions during production to avoid costly production delays and problems

Improved material yield and product quality
  • Provide traceability and material genealogy for products back to the raw materials
  • Record defects, rework and quality in real-time
  • Reduce waste with accurate reporting of losses and reasons why
  • Force adherence to manufacturing formulae and procedures
  • Reduced cost of paper records and data collection
  • Reduce data gathering and analysis time
  • Store full product history including process conditions
  • Reduce cost of regulatory compliance

Better Customer service
  • Dynamically track orders through the production process to keep your customers fully informed
  • Ability to promise more accurate delivery times

Better Utilization of equipment
  • Reduce Downtime by reporting stoppages, lost time and reasons for machine downtime
  • Track bottlenecks in the process for line balancing
  • Faster return on equipment investment

Better Manufacturing Information Systems
  • Automatic Reports for every job, product, machine, shift and operator basis
  • Corporate Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are calculated automatically and in real time
  • Accurate information for activity based costing
  • Integration to other common reporting systems including Intranet based systems

More Empowered and responsible operators
  • Operators gain a better understanding of the causes for poor productivity
  • Total Productive Maintenance indicators (TPM) calculated and displayed dynamically
  • On-line Production Schedules are available to your operators at their machines and other network users at their desks
  • Provide On-screen Product Specifications and Operator Instructions

To achieve the ambitious task of creating this thorough integration, Realtime set about analysing the information needs of different people so that the software addressed their needs correctly. Models were created to track how the production process takes raw materials and adds value as they move through the manufacturing cells. The real world problems that occur and how they might be managed have been catered for.

The TexMES solution consist of:
  • Operator Tools
  • Engineering Tools
  • Management Tools
  • Maintenance Tools
  • Quality Tools
  • Production Tools
  • System administration tools

Fundamental objectives

The fundamental objectives of TexMES are:
  • To cater for discrete, continuous and batch processes. Particularly those found in the food, beverage and Consumer Packaged Goods markets
  • To facilitate the introduction of practical manufacturing procedures including process improvement, quality, and maintenance systems
  • Integrate with ERP and maintenance systems.
  • Provide real-time information to all users of the system and ensure that information is presented in the most meaningful manner.
  • Provide appropriate displays for people depending on their job functions.
  • Provide a live and accurate set of manufacturing Key Performance Indicators including those found in TPM
  • Provide the ability to compare the actual manufacturing results against standard or expected results.
  • Integrate with the most popular and Supervisory SCADA systems.
  • Enable a phased implementation to allow people to come to terms with the changes to their work habits.

Implementation Procedures
You are not simply buying a computer program in TexMES, you are buying an information system that has the potential to increase your factories efficiency. So even though TexMES is the first configurable MES, its also the first to come with the people systems to work in with the technology. From day one, you'll appreciate the depth of thought that has gone into TexMES. Easy to follow implementation workbooks guide the integration team through logical steps for design, prototyping, installation, testing and training.

Management should make a commitment to the system and all the changes in work practices that it will bring. Many people will have their jobs affected by TexMES. If it's to succeed, everyone must support it. The operators in particularly must be convinced that it will have a positive effect for them and want to use it.

It is highly recommended that you use the installation of your new TexMES as a catalyst for re-examining existing systems to ensure that computerization will actually help.


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Texcomp Technologies

10,Khatiza Manzil, Senapati Bapat Marg,
Mumabi- 400028, India
Tel : +91(22)437 6304
Fax : +91(22) 431 0568
e-mail : sales@texcomp.com