Automated data capture slow to sell

Automatically collected production data is often used to determine overall equipment effectiveness.

If a relatively inexpensive product could make a process more efficient, would you buy it? That’s exactly what’s being offered by developers of systems that automate the collection of key production data. But so far, most machining operations have been unwilling to ditch the pen and paper.

Sellers of automated monitoring products make a strong case when explaining why their technology is superior to manual data collection. For one thing, manually recorded information is not timely, said Jim Finnerty, product manager at Wintriss Controls Group LLC, Acton, Massachusetts.

“Nobody likes to manually enter data, so that’s often the last thing people do when they finish a job,” he said. “Or they don’t do it at all for a while until the boss calls them out. But if there’s an issue with the (process) and the information is available in or near real time, somebody would be able to do something about it on the fly.”

In addition, manually entered data will never be as accurate as automatically collected data due to the potential for transcription errors and faulty memories that can cause inaccurate entries if the data isn’t recorded immediately.

“In my experience auditing manual data capture processes, they’re at best 40% accurate,” said Adrian Pask, vice president of international development at Vorne Industries Inc., Itasca, Illinois.

Inaccurate data entries aren’t always unintentional. Regardless of whether it’s true, some machine operators might believe that their performance will be judged by the process data collected, Finnerty said.

“If that’s their feeling and they are manually recording data, they may not include unsatisfactory information, even if it’s not their fault,” he said.

So when Wintriss Controls Group installs automated data collection systems, customers often discover they have a lot more downtime than they believed, Finnerty said. He also said they frequently find that the causes of downtime are not necessarily due to the operator.

In a best-case scenario, Pask said people charged with monitoring and recording process data may be able to spot and get a response to a machine-related issue that causes a major loss in productivity.

At this shop, each milling machine has a ShopFloorConnect machine interface. Image courtesy of Wintriss Controls Group

“But if you had three-minute stops that affected you a hundred times in a day, are people likely to see that?” he asked. “My contention is that if they’re not aggregating the data automatically, the answer is no.”

Automation Implementation

Some automatic data collection systems communicate directly with the machine control to get process information. Finnerty said the downside to that arrangement is that connecting the system to a machine becomes a major engineering project that can include writing code and modifying the controllers. Complicating matters further is that most machining operations employ a mix of different machines with a variety of controls, some of which may not allow connection to a data collection system.

So Wintriss Controls Group developed a data collection system called ShopFloorConnect that includes software and a dedicated machine interface, which Finnerty describes as a data collection device. ShopFloorConnect has a small color touch screen that can connect to any machine. To do its job, the device needs just a couple of simple signals from a machine: one that tells it when the machine is running and not running and another that tells it when the machine has completed a part or cycle. With those two inputs, the device can automatically collect production counts and other data related to efficiency.

In addition to the machine connection, the device connects to a server via an existing wired or wireless network. The server collects production data and makes it available in real time to a web browser or another interface. Flat-screen displays showing the collected data can be placed around the plant or on each machine. The data also goes into a database so it’s available for the creation of reports and tables.

If a machine is down, a menu designed by the user pops up on the touch screen and the operator can select a reason why the machine isn’t running. Users can require operators to do this by enabling an additional feature that inhibits machine operation until a selection is made. The device can also scan employee badges so it can identify who was running a machine at a given time.

When the operator selects a reason for downtime, the system can automatically send text or email alerts to appropriate individuals. Automatic alerts can also be sent at other points in the process—for example, at the beginning or end of a job or when a certain part count is reached.

The XL Productivity Appliance tracks top losses, the main reason for reduced productivity. Image courtesy of Vorne Industries

As is the case with ShopFloorConnect, Vorne Industries’ XL Productivity Appliance doesn’t normally require the installation of sensors.

Instead, “we look for an existing sensor or relay that can give us an electrical pulse every time the machine cycles or makes a part,” Pask said.