Medical Device Link.

Volume 6, Issue 8 - August 16, 2007

Keyence Corp. of America, a leading source for sensing solutions for measurement and manufacturing automation, machine vision, plant safety, laser marking, and digital microscopy.  

LogiPharma 2007, featuring the Distribution and Transportation Management Forum and the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Summit,  September 17-19 .

EPC Connection 2007, EPCglobal’s 4th annual Conference & Exhibition, produced in partnership with RFID Journal, October 2-4 in Chicago.

Servos and Software Standards Target OEE

The momentum by pharma companies toward production process efficiencies has led to an increased focus on measuring overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). 

OEE can be addressed on many fronts. It is commonly described as a holistic evaluation of systems and machinery in relation to ideal factory operations. 

Configurations by machinery manufacturers that enable rapid tool changeovers support OEE, for example. Servo drives with built-in intelligence that meets open, modular architecture control (OMAC) standards enable machine interoperability, speed production, and reduce unplanned downtime. Such improvements can lead to higher OEE scores.

“We are seeing growing interest among pharma companies in OEE improvement. Yet, pharmaceutical OEE ratings in the low 20s are not unusual. In many cases, machine output isn’t optimal when compared with machine performance during factory acceptance tests. Downtime remains a major issue in the pharma sector. Availability of the machine, performance, and production quality are all factors affecting the OEE rating,” says John Wenzler, corporate account executive, packaging industry, Bosch Rexroth Corp. (Hoffman Estates, IL).

Line units conforming to OMAC software standards can share common information, supporting machine correspondence. Production is more seamlessly accomplished as machines reference PackTags to discover a machine’s status, as defined by the PackML State Model. A bagging unit running low on packages could call through an Ethernet backbone to a cartoner, directing a speed reduction, Wenzler says.

“The goal of OMAC is to promote communication, allowing one machine to pull information it needs, regardless of the controller a machine is using,” he says.

Wenzler notes that line certification has inhibited pharma firms from migrating to programmable servo-based technology. He points out that validation is addressed by certifying the software and process. “By certifying the process instead of the machine, flexibility and efficiency are increased,” he says.

Rexroth Corp.’s IndraDrive intelligent servo drives promote faster machine response by sharing the processing load with servo drives in distributed intelligence-style integrated motion systems, the firm reports.
 
The IndraDrive's internal processor allows it to perform the functions of a PLC and motion controller. Responding to data collected by the servo motor, the drive has it own built-in diagnostics for monitoring the drive itself as well as the machine components attached to the servo motor. Besides identifying machine process failures, the drive’s integrated PLC incorporates advanced algorithms and programmed profiles of how mechanical components are expected to age. Factors such as friction between roller slideways and spindles, loose play in gearing and spindles, and rigidity of gearing are monitored. The process is performed in the background while the machine is in operation. The early diagnosis facilitates maintenance on failing parts at scheduled downtimes and means that only parts nearing obsolescence are replaced, says Wenzler.

“The unexpected breakdown outside preassigned shut-down periods is one of the biggest factors affecting machine downtime and OEE. IndraDrive continually monitors part reactions. You can monitor the wear of the attached mechanical components and predict when a part is going to fail.” 

Rexroth Corp.’s Safety On Board Package embeds safety programming into the servo drives distributed through out the machinery. Operators can perform “safe stop” and “safe motion” functions during maintenance. This engages programmable safe limits on parameters such as speed and torque while working on the machine to remove jams or perform changeovers. 

A safe drive reacts to emergency situations faster than a safety PLC because there are no communication delays from networks or PLC scan times. Wenzler says that major efficiency improvements are possible in product changeover, production setup, and maintenance, because restarts are faster, and there is no loss of accuracy because of repositioning.

“Typically for machine maintenance to resolve a jam up, you have to drop power on the machine and perhaps break mechanical connections. With the servo control in safe mode, the operator can enter the machine area and safely move the machine to remove jams or perform changeover, he says.

In shouldering predictive maintenance and safety control, Rexroth Corp.’s IndraDrive eliminates the need for add-on electrical and mechanical components to accomplish these functions. Tasks that might historically have detracted from process efficiency, such as machine jams and breakdowns, are instead promoting efficiency through the deployment of intelligent servo drives and common software.

David Vaczek
Senior Editor

Packaging Machinery: Putting the Pieces Together
A packaging line is only as robust as its weakest link.

Inefficiencies? Not on My Line
Pharmaceutical manufacturers can turn to Overall Equipment Effectiveness to improve operational efficiencies. 

Securing Efficiency in Carton and Label Design
Suppliers are striving for efficiencies in label printing and cartoning as packagers address growing text volume and package security solutions. 

Holographic Labels
A variety of customized holographic images can be printed onto a range of substrates, including tamper-evident materials. These holographic labels can be incorporated with varying degrees of security, depending on customer needs. Security features such as microtext, 2-D and 3-D backgrounds, and proprietary features such as Spectralock and Securetext are offered. These labels combine security features with stylish designs, company logos, and sequential numbering. PRISYMID Inc., Charlotte, NC; 704/409-2351; www.prisymid.com.

Low-Profile Cartoner
A continuous-motion cartoner features a small footprint and low-profile design that provides an unobstructed view of product. The CM625 reaches speeds of up to 320 cartons per minute. The servo-driven system also features a vibration-free base frame made of steel. The system has a drop-through design for excess or rejected product and rotary carton setup. Packaging Systems Automation Inc., Plymouth, MN; 763/473-1032; www.psautomation.com.

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