Level 2 MES

The Level 2 logistics software for manufacturing execution systems (MES) supports customers in achieving the goal of excellent product quality and high productivity.

Definition of MES

"Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) deliver information that enables the optimization of production activities from order launch to finished goods. Using current and accurate data, MES guides, initiates, responds to, and reports on plant activities as they occur. The resulting rapid response to changing conditions, coupled with a focus on reducing non value-added activities, drives effective plant operations and processes. MES improves the return on operational assets as well as on-time delivery, inventory turns, gross margin, and cash flow performance. MES provides mission-critical information about production activities across the enterprise and supply chain via bidirectional communications."
(Source: “Hwaiyu Geng, Manufacturing Engineering Handbooki, McGraw-Hill Professional, ISBN 0071398252")

Competence

Unlike some other vendors ANDRITZ has gained its competence throughout more than 10 years of working closely with customers and suppliers. By equipping our own line of products with comprehensive Level 2 applications ANDRITZ learned what the customers really need: no fancy features, no overwhelming functionality, but clean and reliable functions, which support operators, engineers and the management. Our Level 2 developers go directly to the plants, talking with users to analyze and improve our solutions.

Features of MES

• Receiving product data together with processing instructions (PDI data)
• Schedule the order of production for typically one shift
• Calculating static setpoints for different types of machinery based on PDI data
• Receive live or buffered result data from the L1 control system
• Management of splitting and joining of product units
• Reporting via on-screen or printed reports
• Sending product data at the end of production (PDO data)
• Management of shift schedules
• Monitoring of maintenance triggers
• Interfaces with quality inspection and ERP systems

Example modules

ANDRITZ AUTOMATION offers a range of modular application extensions for the core Level 2 framework. Some examples for modules are:

• CoilSequencer: The ANDRITZ MES software utilizes a multi-rule coil ordering algorithm to allow automatic reordering of the product sequence based on static and dynamic rules.
• Strip inspection: The ANDRITZ MES software automatically collects defect data from the process and surface inspection to combine with quality related measurements.

Technology

All ANDRITZ Level 2 applications are developed in modern, future-oriented environments (.NET languages), using industry-proven communication standards like PLC/HMI, web services and database services like Microsoft SQL and Oracle.

Project integration

Based on the requirements defined by the customer and our sales team, the Level 2 specialists will join the project team for design, implementation and supervision. By accompanying all steps until final acceptance, we ensure best quality, immediate response and a single point-of-contact for any issue.

A typical example of interfaces, processes and services for an ANDRITZ Level 2 system. The modular architecture allows a highly flexible application design.