Integrating XL into other systems
October 28, 2008 by david.evanson
Maybe you have an existing management system running on an industrial database such as SQL, or Oracle and would like to integrate downtime data into that system?
Or maybe you have established a streamlined reporting system using internal tools, perhaps even Excel, and you would like your line data imported into this system?
Manual Integration:
The great news about the XL800 OEE system is that it has been designed to be extremely flexible. Out of the box it has full functionality to produce manually triggered XLS or CSV files which can be uploaded into your system.
Automated Integration:
For an automated installation into your existing databases we recommend, and provide, the iGear (http://www.igearonline.com/) systems. iGear have developed an export tool that integrates seamlessly with XL and will enable the automatic download of any field from the board directly into your system. Please call us for more details.
Overview of the XL800
October 28, 2008 by david.evanson
If you currently have Andon Systems installed in your plant they are providing you with an instant overview of your machine performance:
Takt Time, OEE, Downtime
- These systems tell you current status only
- If you see a machine stopped in fault you have no idea of how long it’s been stopped for
- There is no historical analysis - how often does this stop occur?
Our XL800 OEE System will provide you with all the benefits of a traditional Andon system and take this technology to a whole new level through our unique three levels of functionality:
A Visual Management Andon Scoreboard Tool:
- Give your line teams real-time feedback on performance
- Click here to find out how this can help you
A Live reporting tool:
- Enabling your management team to log on from anywhere to analyse performance in great detail
- Click here to find out how this can help you
An Accurate automated downtime reporting tool:
- Automatically generate the shift reports that your management team normally spend time creating.
- Click here to find out how this can help you
3 systems in 1 bolt-on solution
£2910
Signals needed
October 28, 2008 by david.evanson
As standard your XL800 comes with:
§ Six high-speed inputs and one relay output for core signals
§ A sixteen input expansion card and six-relay output card
Inputs can trigger internal counters, process timers or programs. Programs also let inputs act as “soft buttons” that change the operation of the display based on conditions which are defined by you, such as a break on-the-fly button.
Relay outputs are not designed or intended for control applications - they are for annunciation only.
Three concurrent communication ports provide multiple options for reading and writing data to the XL800 lean manufacturing tool:
• 10/100 Ethernet (for the ultimate in data acquisition)
• RS-232 (single point connections to 57,600 bps)
• RS-485 (multiple point connections to 115,200 bps)
The XL800 works as a true bolt-on system and only needs 2 signal inputs from your line to immediately start providing you with over 50 core KPI’s straight out of the box:
Using XL as a live reporting tool
October 28, 2008 by david.evanson
How much time do your teams currently spend manually collecting data?
Typically most sites that manually collect data are spending 4-5 hours of Front Line Manager time adding up data, entering it into spreadsheets, and bringing it to meetings in which whole teams sit round and discuss the data, and aim to take actions based on the data.
Despite this huge investment in time, not one site to date has told us that their manual data collection is accurate.
How XL can help - Viewing the data in real time:
The XL800 OEE system features a full interactive reporting package built in Internet Explorer. This means that your existing factory computers will be able to interrogate the system with no additional software.
Just plug your XL800 OEE system into an Ethernet network, give it an IP Address, and you view your production data in REAL TIME anywhere in your factory:
XL800 OEE System Dashboard
With an XL800 OEE System installed your team can spend their time running the shift, rather than collecting data.
To view screenshots of our Real time analytics system and even our amazin iPhone interface please click on the thumbnails below:
Using XL as a visual management scoreboard tool
October 28, 2008 by david.evanson
The first place where the XL800 will add value to your operation is on the factory floor.
Many sites first experience factory-floor visual management through the Andon systems typically found in the Toyota Production system. XL800 has much of the same functionality of a traditional Andon system with a whole load of additional reporting functionality and user-configuration. Imagine the impact that a large digital alphanumeric display can have when communicating on the factory floor.
Imagine a system which could:
- Tell you your current Takt Time is below Target
- Tell you when your Actual Speed is below TargetGive you really accurate OEE measures
- Tell you how you’ve lost output on the job/shift to that morning
- Be programmed to tell you when to do quality checks
- Count down for breaks or changeovers
- Display a “Congratulations” message when you beat that shift target
The XL system is so flexible, it will literally measure and record anything you want, and it can even be linked up to other devices. It’s even possible to:
- Activate a horn to sound at the end of break time.
- Activate a light system to indicate when a particular machine has gone down on a busy factory floor
- Trigger a buzzer when it’s time to do a quality check
- Activate an alarm when a speed/takt time dips below a minimum number
XL can do all this and far more.
Technical Specifications
October 28, 2008 by david.evanson
Size: 13.7″H x 26.2″W x 3.5″ D
Weight: 17lb (8kg)
High Speed Inputs: 3-30 VDC Sink/Source
Relay Output: SPDT Rated 1A@ 120VAC
Communication Ports: Ethernet 10/100, Serial RS-232, Serial RS-485
Rated LED Life: 100,000 hours typical
Operating Temp. Range: 0 Degrees - 55 Degress Celsius
Humidity: 0% to 95% Non-condensing
Power requirements: 90-230 VAC 50/60Hz
More ideas for your XL OEE System
October 27, 2008 by david.evanson
1. When a production line reaches their goal for the Shift, display a Congratulations message or graphic.
2. When breaks or lunches move around a lot, remove them from the time schedule and instead use a manual input to set the unit to Standby (break) mode.
3. Use the relay output to sound a horn when a break starts and ends.
4. Display an hourly goal and hourly count to keep production on track.
5. In some applications, to get better data accuracy customers do not want the unit to decide if the line is running or down. Instead, they will use a relay contact that is closed if the line is running and open is the line is idle. This relay contact is wired to one of our inputs which will trigger a program to place the unit into Run or Down mode depending on the condition of the signal.
6. Use a time schedule to set the Takt time, Ideal cycle time, and Shift Goal to different values based on the production shift.
7. Display downtime as a monetary value. Money sometimes produces more of an impact than time.
8. Display the last shifts production as a motivation for the current shift.
9. Keep track of production records and display a congratulations message when it is surpassed.
10. Display a Changeover Goal time value as well as the current Changeover time to remind the operator of the requirement.
11. Change the Takt time, Ideal Cycle time, and Goal based on the number of operators on the line.
12. In plants where multiple languages are used, alternate between multiple screens of data using the different languages (English/Spanish).
13. In some applications (Printing presses) the line speed is more important to the operators than the actual count. For these applications, the Goal speed would be displayed with the actual speed changing color based upon reaching the Goal.
14. In some cases, customers use the unit as a simple display. For example, they already have a PLC on the production line which has all of the production data they are interested in. In this case, the PLC can be programmed to transmit the production data serially to the XL display.
What other people have said about XL
October 26, 2008 by david.evanson
| XL Leads the Way to 22% Productivity Gain |
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“We have been aggressively working to improve our OEE and manufacturing efficiencies. So far this year, we have been able to achieve a 22% improvement in OEE, and XL has been an integral part of our improvement process. By knowing the status of all our lines in real-time, we can address problems in real-time. With XL, our entire team sees downtime, and eliminates downtime. We count on XL to show us what area’s we need to address, and we take immediate action from there.” M.H. | Plant Manager | Personal Care and Household Products |
| “Immediate 29% Improvement in Production Efficiencies” |
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“We saw an immediate 29% improvement in production efficiencies just by adding XL displays! The project has been so successful that we?ve now outfitted two complete plants with XL800s and are working on another. Corporate is so excited about the project that they?ve approved the budget to do every plant we have in the next year.” R.H. | Engineer | Large Print Advertising Company |
| Sustained Increase in Throughput |
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“Having real-time production data on the plant floor has really changed how we work. We now know exactly where we should be relative to goal and have seen a remarkable, sustained 8% increase in throughput as a result. Our shifts now compete on a daily basis to try and out-produce the other shifts. Not only does this help us increase productivity, it makes it really fun for the teams.” D.M. | Manufacturing Engineer | Seat Frame Supplier |
| 27% Ahead of Plan |
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“When we installed XL displays showing target and actual production rates, the target rate for one of the lines was inadvertently set higher than was planned. One of the engineers set the target rate to 180 pcs/min for a part that was scheduled for 140 pcs/min. A few hours later when the plant manager glanced at the display, he was amazed to see the actual performance at 178 pcs/min. The line was running at 127% of plan simply because the goal was there! The XL displays showed us that our team members can outperform our own expectations. After we started visual management using the XL displays, the lines are showing record productivity numbers.” A.C. | Manufacturing Consultant | Manufacturing Consulting Firm |
| Downtime Slashed by 94% |
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“The XL displays definitely generate a competitive interest on the plant floor. Until we put the display up it was not uncommon to see 160 minutes of shift downtime. Now that the operators can see the downtime in real time it is down to just 10 or 12 minutes per shift. Also, one of our production shifts just broke the all-time run rate for the line.” S.T. | Plant Engineer | International Glass Products Manufacturer |
| Fast ROI and Improved Problem Resolution |
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“We are totally satisfied! The XL800s easily paid for themselves in the first couple of months we used them. With the XL800 we are now able to easily identify slow cycles and quickly correct the problems that cause them. Throughput is up!” M.T. | Controls Engineer | Global Braking Components Manufacturer |
| Downtime Was Getting Us Down |
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“Downtime hurts – we know when our machines aren’t running we’re hurting the bottom line. In order to fix the problem we had to be able to see what was occurring. By using XL timers we are able to see how much downtime has occurred. Now that we know where to look, we have been able to reduce our downtime. When it works it works! That’s why we have a timer on every press.” R.H. | Automation Engineer | National Plastics Injection Molding Firm |
| “Immediate 29% Improvement in Production Efficiencies” |
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“We saw an immediate 29% improvement in production efficiencies just by adding XL displays! The project has been so successful that we’ve now outfitted two complete plants with XL800s and are working on another. Corporate is so excited about the project that they?ve approved the budget to do every plant we have in the next year.” R.H. | Engineer | Large Print Advertising Company |
| Efficiency Improved from 75% to 95% |
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“We have definitely noticed a productivity improvement since we started using the display. Before the display was hung, our line averaged 75% efficiency. Since the display we are operating between 90 and 95%. Since this unit was so successful we are in the process of adding visuals to our other lines.” A.P. | Lean Coordinator | Global Electric Component Manufacturer |
| “30 Percent Increase in Production” |
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“The results are amazing! We went from about eight thousand units a day to just over eleven thousand just by putting the displays up. That’s an almost 30 percent increase in production and we’ve been able to sustain our gains. Everybody in the plant just loves the displays. Supervisors, managers and operators now have a great tool for monitoring the progress of the lines in real time.” R.K. | Maintenance Supervisor | Decorative Can and Tin Manufacturer |
| Increasing Efficiency and Reducing Downtime |
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“Having the XL800 production monitoring displays throughout our organization allows our production lines to visually monitor their own performance. At the same time, the remote monitoring of the data provides real time feedback to our 1st and 2nd level supervisors allowing them to react to changes in production throughput increasing our efficiency and reducing downtime.” R.T. | Manufacturing Manager | Tier One Automotive Supplier |
