Compressed Air Best Practices - April 2008 - (Page 39)

Compressed Air Industry PLASTICS BLOW-MOLDING | 04/08 | Benefits to End Users Benefits aren’t just limited to OEMs, as end users are able to capitalize on advancements of ISO standardization, collective wiring solutions and diagnostic capabilities. OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) is improved with ISO valve standardization by minimizing machine downtime. By using the diagnostic capabilities of an integrated fieldbus solution, a faulty valve can be identified and an appropriate ISO style replacement given. MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) is reduced with a simplified ISO 15407-2 or 5599-2 design requiring the removal of only two to four fasteners and no cables or wiring. Many advanced valve driver modules offer auto device replacement, clearing the error status bit automatically, once the worn valve has been replaced. No programming or controls engineering assistance is needed. This is also true of many integrated input and output modules often attached to the same valve manifold (check with your supplier for guidelines). Additionally, users will have reduced potential for down time in their facility due to the reduction of components, such as junction boxes, terminal strips and conduit runs resulting in a reduced bill of material and hence a reduced opportunity for failure. Crib inventory is reduced as proprietary valves, and consequently specific vendor nuances as well, are eliminated. Furthermore, end users are likely to see a cost savings benefit passed on by their OEMs in the form of more competitive bids resulting from the labor and material reductions of collective wiring pneumatic valves. You can expect manufacturing time to be reduced by the time savings associated with collective wiring, as end users may see a reduced lead time from their vendors, with a potential further reduction of expedited costs and concerns over system installation deadlines. Point-of-use valve installations integrated with fieldbus make it significantly easier to expand collective wiring valve manifolds for last second machine enhancements as well as machine upgrades performed after initial installation. There is no need to have individual leads running back to the junction box terminal strips or control panel, resulting in significant time-savings for engineering and assembly. For valve manufacturers incorporating fieldbus with input and output capability on their point-of-use valve manifolds, it is easy to add I/O to the machine. There is no need to worry about control panel spacing and whether or not their will be room to expand because the system is located outside of the panel. With many end users adopting Lean principles of manufacturing and continually striving to eliminate waste and improve material flow, collective wiring offers the additional benefit of easy relocation of manufacturing centers. With the elimination of junction boxes, disassembling a station can be as easy as disconnecting a few cordsets and reconnecting after the move. The control panel and overall machine size will be reduced because valve manifolds can be located conveniently around the machine, rather than in one large, central location. Whether your organization is an OEM or an end user, there are a myriad of ways to capitalize on pneumatic valve advancements like ISO standardization, collective wiring solutions and diagnostic capabilities. The next time an opportunity to specify a pneumatic valve solution arises, think about specifying an ISO standard with integrated fieldbus. Standardizing on a standard will allow you to take advantage of global multi-vendor support and fair MRO pricing structures. If rising labor costs and wiring complexity are causing increases in machine cost and maintenance complications, look into the ever-advancing capabilities of collective wiring solutions and diagnostic capabilities. Improved profitability, decreased machine build times and enhanced diagnostics are all possible with today’s pneumatic valve solutions. For more information please contact Chris Landis, Product Sales Manager — Valve/Vacuum, Parker Hannifin Corporation, Pneumatic Division, tel: (269) 629-5000, Email: CLandis@Parker.com, http://apps.parker.com/pneu/simplify/ www.airbestpractices.com 39 http://apps.parker.com/pneu/simplify/ http://www.airbestpractices.com

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Compressed Air Best Practices - April 2008 Contents From the Editor Utility-Air News The Compressed Air Audit of the Month: Minimizing Blow-Molding Pressure Fluctuations AF Compressors: Focused on 40 Bar, Oil-Free Air for the PET Industry Real World Best Practices: PET Plants Using Boosters for High-Pressure Air Guaranteeing Audit ROI for Blow-Molders Managing Vacuum Pressure Differential Are You Taking Full Advantage of Pneumatic Valve Technology? Are You Strategic? Resources for Energy Engineers: Training Calendar & Product Picks Wall Street Watch Advertiser Index Job Market

Compressed Air Best Practices - April 2008

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