Food Processing - April 2008 - (Page 42)

AUTOMATION field, line-by-line OEE comparisons can “create a bit of competition” among line operators producing like products. “It’s not uncommon to hear ‘Let’s hustle! Line 3 is doing 0.1 percent better than we are, so let’s get this line moving,’” Cole says. “You’d be surprised what competition can do for you.” Likewise, at Breyers, Mobile key performance indicators Davis says lines “will be (KPIs) can be presented on any webcompeting to see who has enabled smart phone. A system a better OEE for the day,” from transpara (shown) tracks mulhustling for “targeted tiple plants in multiple regions, but achievement” incentives. also can delve deeper into any single “Operators know that if a plant, provided a company or plant machine stops, whatever database is populated with KPIs. is causing it, they need to come up with a solution right away. They’re always contributing ideas and getting involved with our mechanics,” who in turn act as vigilant watchdogs over two or three lines per shift. As with the maintenance shop, the Breyers quality lab is integrated with the plant system so that operator stations not only prompt users to perform tests and log the results, the underlying data also show in the lab in real time. The economic justification for plant automation is the same, whether a plant uses PLCs or a DCS and whether the plant is dedicated to candy bars or corn wet milling, according to Peter Martin, vice president of performance measurement and management for Invensys, Wonderware’s parent. (See sidebar, Note to Management.) His vision for the “enterprise control system” is one in which top managers gain much more visibility to plant data in executing their business objectives. For example, plant integration can now provide bottomless levels of data to feed business analyses such as SKU-specific profit and loss profiles. “Now, for the first time, we have a real opportunity to do things differently,” Martin says, “to set up much more flexible, profitable production schedules and to measure our businesses in a way we have never done.” MORE ON thE WEb Searching for “automation” in the search bar at www.FoodProcessing.com will yield 161 stories in all, including 91 articles, six white papers, 31 products and six news stories. Plus, our Production Operations Resource Center has an Automation & Control topic area. Do all your plant ops searching at www.FoodProcessing.com. 42 • FOOD PROCESSING APRIl 2008 WWW.FOODPROCESSING.COM http://www.FoodProcessing.com http://www.FoodProcessing.com http://www.FoodProcessing.com http://www.pilgrimsoftware.com http://www.pilgrimsoftware.com http://www.FoodProcessing.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Food Processing - April 2008

Food Processing - April 2008 Contents Editor's Plate NewsBites The Trends Rollout Food Biz Kids Consumer Taste Test - Indulgent, Superpremium Chocolate...at 3 Calories a Pop Cover Story - Annual Capital Spending Report - To Build or Not to Build? Ingredients - Trendy Fruits, Nuts and Vegetables Plant Operations - iPlant: Assessing the State of Automation Plant Operations - Your Sanitation Can Be Greener Packaging - For Which Oven? MRO Q&A New Supplier Products Toops Scoops

Food Processing - April 2008

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