CableMES

CableMES is a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) specifically for the cable and wire manufacturing industry. CableMES is part of the CableSuite product portfolio. CableMES helps to:

• Increase the Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE)
• Reduce scrap and rework
• Improve productivity
• Improve product quality
• Reduce production cost
• Reduce production time
• Increase product traceability
• Facilitate decision making at the shop floor

CableMES Overview
MES enables a huge step in manufacturing performance, resulting in reduced material utilization, reduced scrap and rework, improved productivity, and higher quality products at a much reduced cost comparable with other means to achieve the same quality levels.  It enables manufacturers to make quality products first time, every time in the quickest possible time.

Traceability of production is an inherent aspect of MES. CableMES uses barcode and RF transducers to track batches of cable drums and containers. Operators use badges to minimize administrative overhead while keeping track of all relevant transactions.

CableMES tracks the machine status and the quality of the product either through online sensors such as diameter gauges, length gauges, or offline equipment such as shadow graphs and automated measurement equipment.  CableMES also connects to sensors to track material utilization, through loss-in-weight systems, and even electricity consumption.

Tracing and storing data against each batch is an essential aspect of obtaining and maintaining quality certification, however, the collected data has even greater value in aiding continuous improvement.  But before using the data in projects such as scrap reduction, the data needs to be conditioned to make it relevant to the task.  CableMES uses the vast library of Wonderware analytical tools to help managers and engineers make sense of raw data. Tools like OEE, and SPC come as modules of the solution as well as other bespoke analysis tools.

CableMES reduces costs
MES is proven to provide a very quick return on investment.  This is because traditionally factory management and engineers do not close the loop of continuous improvement.  They rarely have accurate, reliable data to validate their improvement efforts.  With MES, managers and engineers can close the loop with up to the minute information that demonstrates the success of their changes, or warns them of pending problems to enable them to adjust the process.

Some of the features and benefits are listed below, but others are possible with the help of the Wonderware platform:

• Material utilization monitoring to help process engineers focus their efforts on the most effective material saving projects
• OEE tracking to help planners produce accurate plans to avoid late delivery penalties, helps accurate customer quotation to ensure accurate, yet competitive pricing, and helps production to continually improve the process.
• Quality tracking and traceability to ensure adherence to the cable design and the customer requirements hence avoiding costly mistakes that lead to scrap.
• Length control to reduce over length and giveaway.
• Work-In-Progress feedback to ERP and Scheduling systems to enable them to plan and cost production accurately.
• None conformance alarms to identify a problem as soon as it happens in order to take action.  This is one of the most important ways to reduce scrap and rework.
• Maintenance call-outs enables the maintenance department to act quickly to resolve any problems to reduce down time that can have serious impact on productivity.

Why CableMES
Traditionally Manufacturing Execution Systems are either developed in house, bought from a local third party supplier, or from a specialist supplier.  In all these cases the wire and cable maker suffers with out of control project costs when the system needs to be upgraded or customized to their wire and cable manufacturing processes.  On the other hand, framework tools like Wonderware allow scalability and customization as part of their design, but suffer from requiring a great deal of configuration to utilize them to solve the specific needs of the wire and cable industry. 

CableMES combines the power and versatility of Wonderware’s toolkit with quick start-up based on pre-configured components and the expertise to implement them.  The solution provides for a quick return on investment as well as future proofing the investment with a flexible, powerful, globally supported platform from a proven supplier.

CableMES System Architecture
MES brings tremendous benefits of its own right, it can also be an enabler to increase the efficiency of other systems.

CableMES integrates with Cable ERP but also with other ERP systems. The integration of MES is in two directions.  Production orders from the ERP are downloaded into MES to instruct the operators on the shop floor about the products they need to produce. The production order can be combined with all the manufacturing requirements which would include all the dimensions of the products as well as the set up of the machine.

Once the order is made, CableMES will feedback the progress of the order as and when any changes occurs.  This enables complete progress tracking in the ERP system to enable better scheduling, better prediction of delivery problems and better cost control.

CableMES also integrates to CableBuilder. Manufacturing instructions can be downloaded from CableBuilder if they are not available from the ERP integration.  Feedback to CableBuilder can also be permitted to indicate to the design engineers the actual deviation between the theoretical and production dimensions.

Contact us if you want to discuss how CableMES can help you reduce production cost and increase production efficiency!