CONTRACT MUFACTURING
Integrating Automated Component Storage Towers
easily communicate and receive information from the storage system, and automatic filesharing with other software is possible. The result of these connections is that all company systems immediately are updated to inventory availability, allowing for a more efficient and timely production cycle. Also, all information necessary for the automatic generation of traceability reports is automatically transmitted to both ERP and MES systems.
Robert J. Black Jr., Essegi Automation S.r.l. considers automated storage system
making steady progress towards the goals of “smart factories” and “lights out
W
manufacturing.” One of the key requirements for achieving these goals is streamlining the material flow between the warehouse and the production floor, ensuring that all components reach the production lines accurately and at the proper time. In recent years, the automated component storage system has come to play a major role in improving productivity and efficiency for many electronics OEM and EMS companies. Combined with a comprehensive database of all materials, processes, and procedures necessary to manufacture these products and the software systems that must work together to successfully achieve their manufacturing goals, these automated towers provide a powerful tool for both volume manufacturing and high-mix environments. While most companies use an
54 MAY 2021 | ELECTRONICS TODAY
ith the growing interest in industry 4.0, many OEM and EMS electronics equipment manufacturers are
enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to help manage the business, they may additionally use a manufacturing execution software (MES) system on the factory floor. Also, the many pieces of equipment used in the manufacturing lines may have their own operating software, maintenance software, individual machine controllers, and line controllers.
The integration and management of these systems is a challenging task. Perhaps the first important requirement to achieving this integration is to have complete, accurate data in the database of materials, processes and procedures.
Connecting to the ERP System ERP is the integrated management of main business processes, often in real time and mediated by software and technology. The automated component storage system can be connected with the ERP system easily, MES, pick-and-place lines, etc. Thanks to the API interface, any software can
Let us review the types of information that can be transmitted by the automated storage system to the ERP. First, and most importantly, is the part numbers and quantities of all components held in the automated storage systems. Within this data is the unique ID of each reel, the manufacturer’s part number, the lot number, the date code, and any other specialised information which the customer has linked to the unique ID. Through this link, it is possible for the ERP system to update itself on the current inventory held in the automated storage systems as frequently as it desires. Second, the automated storage system can confirm to the ERP system the components by reel, tray, and unique ID that are currently in the production process, their present locations, and the jobs and bills of materials they are assigned to. If the ERP system were to request an update of inventory quantities every 10 minutes throughout the day, the automated storage system would comply. While this might be considered excessive, in a large manufacturer with 100 production lines producing tens of thousands of assemblies daily, it might not be excessive but necessary.
For moisture-sensitive devices, the MSD data and tracking is fully available to the ERP system at any time. Each reel or tray, identified by its unique ID, has its entire life history recorded by the automated storage system. Each time the component was withdrawn for use, the time it was outside the controlled humidity environment, the time it was returned to the automated storage system, and the remaining validity time for the component before expiration is available to the ERP system or any other outside software system, such as an MES, at any time. If the manufacturer uses the ERP system to manage production and generate orders to
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74
