CONTROL ECONOMICS
CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES MAY BE THE OPTION OF FIRST RESORT FOR COPING WITH AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
In early December, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) confirmed what most people already suspected, the United States has been in a recession for more than a year. While the NBER doesn’t issue forecasts, few expect current conditions to change for the better anytime soon.
For most people in the packaging industry, economic downturns are usually the time for taking a hard look at ways to reduce operational costs and improve efficiency. But because many factors may have already been optimized in the name of gaining market share, packagers may feel at a loss for options when the growth is gone and the name of the game is survival.
Ross Pryor, president of Atlanta, Ga.-based Factory Automation Systems, an integrator of PLCs, computers, robotics, motion control and drive systems, says that on top of speed and productivity, “there’s a new emphasis on high uptime and reliability.”
That comes as no surprise to Mike Wagner, director, packaging segment/OEM solutions, Rockwell Automation, Milwaukee, Wis. “End users have been so focused on expansion to deal with capacity, but now it’s time to step back and look at their systems in a new way,” he says. “And with capital budgets in play, they’re likely having to do more with less.”
That trend is already evident, says Pryor. After a flurry of late-year spending, “we’re seeing a general backing off of upgrade projects. Some are being delayed, others have been cancelled all together.”
 |
| Quick disconnect is a time-saving maintenance and operation feature of products such as B & R Automation's X20 system. |
Fortunately, some of the best opportunities to help insulate packaging operations against a prolonged recession are as close as their existing systems. There are a number of opportunities to maximize the productivity of the existing equipment while still retaining the flexibility to remain competitive. Motion controls and related components are ideal places to start.
Many efficiency-enhancing opportunities lie within the software that makes that precise motion possible in the first place. And according to John Kowal, global marketing manager, Schneider Electric’s ELAU Packaging Solutions, Schaumburg, Ill., it’s getting more powerful on an almost daily basis.
“Many packagers may be surprised at the functionalities that have been added over the past couple of years,” he says. “Software is replacing a multitude of mechanical systems, yet is backward compatible with most existing systems.”
Many software advancements such as intelligent line shafting have been derived from advancements in robotic kinematics.
“By replacing a mechanical line shaft with servo axes slaved to either a real or virtual master axis, users can change and fine tune their motion profile without any additional programming or mechanical redesign,” Kowal says. “It also helps smooth out disparities in the system-wide motion profile that may have arisen over the years by subtle changes in products and line speeds.”
Controls should certainly be considered for packagers eyeing changes in materials to help drive down costs.
“Manufacturers are feeling the pressure to reduce total packaging costs and are adopting newer packaging materials,” explains Dave Whittenton, marketing manager, Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc., Norcross, Ga. “However, introducing thinner materials often creates potential production issues. The problems arise because the existing motion controls are not properly tuned or designed to handle the newer properties, such as elasticity and strength.”
Such “tweaks” to the motion profile are easier with advanced electronic camming features found in many motion control software packages.
“Mechanical camming simply takes too much time to find the optimization point,” Whittenton says. “Electronics and servos provide a much simpler and cost-effective approach to making changes in parameters.”
A NEED TO KNOW
A must-have tool for coping with recessionary times is information about a packaging system’s performance. Many communication tools such as industry standard Ethernet/IP and Ethernet Modbus/TCP communication protocols are already available to improve factory floor data sharing and inter-machine connectivity.
Doug Meyer, solutions marketing manager, Yaskawa’s Motion Division, Waukegan, Ill., says this technology can often help manufacturers reduce their PLC platform requirements and still meet an end user’s specifications.
“This presents an opportunity to use best-of-class motion controls to improve overall equipment performance while reducing both hardware and software costs—a big bonus in tough economic times,” he says.
Software for human-machine interfaces (HMIs) and diagnostics is also helpful in providing a window into a system’s operation, which can result in lower labor, maintenance and support costs.
“You can’t find a problem and take appropriate action without good extended diagnostics,” observes Shaun Kneller, spokesperson, B&R Industrial Automation Corp., Roswell, Ga. “Less-skilled operators can also effectively operate the machines, allowing companies to better allocate their labor force.”
The controls and communications technology combination is already proving valuable in tackling a key cost-reduction/efficiency-improvement target among food and beverage companies—downtime associated with product changeovers.
“They involve a lot of people and a lot of time, which in some cases may be longer than the time of the product run itself,” says Mark Langridge, national sales and marketing manager for food and beverage and consumer goods, SICK, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn. “Restarting the line also requires tests that can waste thousands or even millions of dollars worth of product a year.”
The combination of intelligent sensors, stored parameter recipes and network control have already combined to simplify what used to be highly complex format changes that required extensive—and expensive—expertise.
“Changeovers can now be done remotely via the HMI, so that when you go from product A to product B, the information is sent directly to the components,” Langridge says. “In the process, you reduce labor and energy wasted during downtime.”
COSTS AND BALANCES
To be sure, most alterations involving machine controls will require at least some investment in software or mechanical upgrades. But wise upfront spending will more than pay for itself through long-term benefits that will continue long after the current economic difficulties become a memory.
Take servomotors, for example. Dan Throne, sales and marketing manager for Bosch Rexroth Corp.’s Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Electric Drives and Controls Division notes that AC drives are responsible for up to 60 percent of a packaging line’s energy consumption for many food and beverage companies. Servos, on the other hand, can improve energy conservation by 30 percent or more. But the benefits don’t stop there.
“Thanks to advancements in regenerative power supplies, excess energy from decelerating motors that was once lost as heat can now be transferred to motors that are accelerating,” Throne explains. “Capacitance bank modules are also helpful for rapid, high-value systems such as labelers and sleevers.”
The use of integrated motors and drives is another long-term energy-saving option with the added advantages of lower power consumption and maintenance requirements, and smaller spare inventories.
Kneller notes that the advent of quick-connect components also helps speed maintenance turnaround times.
“In many cases, there’s no need to shut down the machine or call in an electrician,” he says.
It would also be nice if a few quick fixes were all that was needed to have a packaging operation running at peak efficiency. While certain measures will make a difference, it’s essential to look not only at a machine and its individual elements, but the packaging process as a whole.
That’s where Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) comes in. Long used in other manufacturing sectors, OEE helps owners understand the “hows and whys” of their system’s performance by monitoring feedback from throughout the system. This enables them to identify ways to optimize all aspects of its operation, rather than making discrete changes that may have counterproductive effects elsewhere in the process.
Whittenton likens applying OEE data to operating a car. “Finding and driving the optimal speed based on the driving conditions usually helps a car’s long-term performance,” he says. “The same is often true with a packaging line. By integrating OEE into the production process you can determine the optimal speed for both performance and business goals, as well as the demands of a market that is increasingly calling for more variety in product offerings.”
The key challenge, Whittenton adds, is integrating OEE into the production process in a way that the entire line can quickly make the proper speed adjustments. Many controls providers are working on technology that will allow machines to make adjustments and corrective actions based on real-time OEE data.
But Wagner notes that it’s still important for packagers to know exactly how they will evaluate success and what the metrics are.
 |
| SICK Format Adjustment Drives automate mechanical guides in auxiliary axes on a case packaging machine. |
“Is the goal energy reduction, an increase in efficiency or overall cost reduction?” he asks hypothetically. “End users will have to share how they calculate ROI with machine builders and suppliers so that we can understand the problem. We can’t help them unless we know what their goals are, what they’re measuring and how they’re measuring it.”
To help make OEE more relevant and valuable to packagers and OEMs, the Organization for Machine Automation and Control (OMAC) has a working group tasked with standardizing OEE term definitions.
“Standardization of OEE terms will provide packaging methodology with the same benefits that Pack ML and Make2Pack have brought to packaging machine functionality,” Kowal says.
Another holistic analytical approach that can aid companies with crafting long term process efficiency improvement strategies is PELS™ (Packaging End-of-Line Solutions), a multi-firm alliance of automation and controls suppliers who collaborate to help craft systems based on users’ specific needs.
“The approach is well-suited for the times, particularly for customers facing decreases in their capital budgets,” says Throne, whose firm is part of the PELS alliance. “It brings a task force representing all perspectives—including the user’s—to find ways to achieve higher efficiency in overall performance.”
Of course, there’s no single sure-fire solution for surviving an economic downturn. Every packaging operation is different, and some will find success where others struggle. That’s why the essential element in any recession strategy is to know what you have and what you want to achieve. From there, it’s a matter of finding the best path to get there.
“Just hearing somebody say that a particular component or technology is good and installing them may not produce the savings you expect or hope for,” Kneller says. “It’s critical to understand your machine and its operational patterns. Only then can you properly determine what needs correcting.”
Jim Parsons has written about business and technology issues for more than 10 years.
