Start, scale & grow

In part two of our spotlight series on SIG Plant 360 Controller, we look at the benefits of a modular digital solution that can be scaled to the manufacturer's exact operational needs

In part one of our spotlight series on SIG Plant 360 Controller, we saw how SIG’s new digital monitoring and control solution is designed to optimise every angle of a filling plant’s operations. But how can it do this? It’s all down to the solution’s three core modules: Connector, Performer and Governor. Together, they ensure manufacturers have a scalable integrated solution that can be customised to their specific operations.

Connector  

The Connector module starts by ensuring full connectivity in a manufacturer’s plant, no matter what kind of equipment, supplier or PLC is used. OPC Unified Architecture enables horizontal machine-to-machine and vertical shop floor to top floor communication within the entire plant, and getting started is simple. “It’s very important that it’s easy and fast to integrate the Connector module because our customers’ lines and plants have to continually run,” says Stefan Mergel, SIG’s Senior Product Manager Equipment. “That’s why we do most of the groundwork at SIG so we can deliver a plug-and-play solution, which is integrated within the equipment, connected to the PLC and can go live within a day.”

Performer

The Performer module is a Plant Monitoring System (PMS) that offers a platform on which all connected equipment can share information. This creates a transparent database that monitors an entire plant in real time, analyses historical data to find process bottlenecks and presents intelligent insights in visual dashboards. The benefits of more transparency are improved plant efficiency (OEE) and quality, and with digital reporting manufacturers can achieve a paperless plant – meaning no more paper notes, documents and inefficient plant operations. “Customisation is very important to ensure our customers get what they need,” says Mergel. “With the Performer module, we have a basis module that covers all key functionalities but we also have a large toolbox where customers can choose the tools and modules they need related to issues such as performance, quality and energy. This ensures they always get what they need.”

Governor

The Governor module provides a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that gives a manufacturer complete control of their plant from the top floor to the shop floor. This means seamless communication between all layers of operations – from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to individual machines and back. With modular solutions powered by digital workflows, such as material handling, operations planning, or batch track-and-trace, the Governor can help manufacturers optimise every angle of their operations. “Potential cost savings from the Governor module are obviously dependent on the customer but from our experience we have some proven key figures,” adds Mergel. “We know you can improve OEE by an average of 5% while plant capacity can be improved by 10%. For a milk customer in Asia Pacific, SIG Plant 360 Controller is an end-to-end solution that enables yearly savings of over €1m.”

Want to know more about the benefits of SIG Plant 360 Controller? Contact us now or read about our other Smart Factory solutions. And to ensure you stay ahead of the big issues shaping your business, subscribe to the SIGnals Update for a rundown of our latest news and stories.