CONTROL & INSTRUMENTATION | MACHINERY
Developments in control include ERP software updates, autonomous control in cast film, increased incorporation of AI and an IoT system that solved problems for a flexpack producer
AI and digitalisation add control benefits
In the age of digitalisation – and artificial intelli- gence – control systems have become even smarter, allowing plastics converters to automate production as never before. TPBI, a flexpack producer based in Thailand, says it has maximised the output of its W&H blown film lines by integrating the company’s Ruby Go system into its Varex machines. It says the Internet of Thins (IoT) system has helped it to raise production efficiency and improve communication – as well as solving problems as they occur. Before using Ruby, TPBI says it struggled with a
fragmented data flow, but now production is both automated and optimised, it says. The platform is widely adopted across all departments, as a tool for monitoring and internal communication between production, engineering, R&D and quality management teams. The system provides real-time access to ma- chine parameters and production data, including detailed overviews, process data, trends, and alarm
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logs, which are displayed on large screens during production and management meetings. This has improved transparency and traceability, enabling better decision-making and more efficient opera- tions, it says.
In one instance, TPBI faced a recurring issue
where the running film web would oscillate briefly and miss a cut by the slitting knife, causing a quality issue. The problem occurred randomly, requiring engineers to spend 4-8 hours observing the machine in the hope of catching the issue in action. This consumed valuable time and left the root cause undiagnosed for long periods. “Ruby Go allows us to perform faster root cause
analysis, reducing downtime from 10% to 0.5%,” said Surasit Dechvilai, engineering manager at TPBI. “This has been key in keeping our operations running smoothly and efficiently.” With Ruby, the process is much simpler. Instead
of waiting for the issue to recur, the production team could immediately access machine data from the trend page when the problem occurred. By
March 2025 | FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION 33
Main image: TPBI has raised output on its Varex blown film lines by integrating W&H’s Ruby Go system
IMAGE: W&H
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