With the software package developed for CTFA Ltd., the production of extruder lines can be planned and monitored, the production plan can be modified and the production can be monitored.
- The production preparation module.
- The manufacturing instructions are called. “Families” – mixture type, temperature, yarn, constrain distance, etc.
- Families can be edited on a “Master” computer that oversees production and stored in an SQL database.
- From the completed families, family lists can be selected based on the orders and compiled for the production lines.
- The lists can be downloaded from the “Slave” industrial computer (IPC) installed next to the production lines.
- The operator of the extruder line selects the ‘family’ to be manufactured from the downloaded list and downloads it to the PLCs of the equipment that make up the line (soul extruder, extractor, knitting machine, cover extruder, refrigerator, etc.), thus setting the production parameters.
- The system is prepared so that the extruder tools, blends and yarns are barcoded. The barcode scanner connected to the slave computer scans the barcodes and compares them with the data in the family – thus supporting quality assurance.
- The production monitoring module.
- The slave IPC collects the operating parameters and error signals of the machine units belonging to the production line, which are stored in the SQL database.
- The data can be displayed on the Master computer, so the production process can be monitored in real time.
