Product category:
Plantwide control
News Release from: GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms UK | Subject: Cimplicity Plant Edition
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 25 June 2003
Control system keeps up Range Rover
standards
A team from GE Fanuc has migrated the new Range Rover body-in-white, paint shop and final assembly production lines so they are now all monitored by Cimplicity Plant Edition software.
Over a period of just 8 months, a team from GE Fanuc has migrated the new Range Rover body-in-white, paint shop and final assembly production lines so they are now all monitored by Cimplicity Plant Edition software Now, machine or facility errors can be visualised locally and across the whole plant for immediate action
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 29 May 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Software helps rice waste contribute to Kyoto
Byproducts from Riso Scotti food processing in Italy are put to good use in the company's energy plant at Pavia rather than adding further waste into the local environment.
Automation system increases Vectra productivity
Vauxhall is using the GE Fanuc operator control and visualisation software Cimplicity Plant Edition at its fully modernised plant in Ellesmere Port.
Up-to-the-minute productivity figures are also displayed and reports can be requested from the continually updated historical database, and even viewed via the Internet.
Renowned for its 'sense of luxury', both on the road and off-road, the Range Rover is built to very high standards.
In common with most car manufacturers, each new Range Rover is built to a customer's discrete order requirements.
With the choices of inside and outside colour combinations, of seating, engine, body style and cockpit content, the permutations are nowadays huge.
Therefore each painted car body has to meet up with the correct power train subframe, with the correct cockpit colour and layout, and has to get finished with the correct seating and accessories - and in a timescale to meet with the satisfaction of customers from all over the world.
Further reading
Wire machine manufacturer uses Cimplicity
MAG's software packages for manufacturing enamel-insulated winding wire are based on the GE Fanuc Cimplicity Plant Edition visualisation system.
Software upgrade empowers Mini paint shop
The new Mini is being manufactured on one of the world's most modern and advanced production systems, including a new paint shop controlled and monitored by Cimplicity Plant Edition.
Control concept for natural gas storage tank
The Uwjasowskoje natural gas storage tank, located approximately 350km from Moscow, uses GE Fanuc's Cimplicity Plant Edition visualisation software and high-end Series 90-70 PLCs.
A team of six applications engineers from GE Fanuc's UK workforce was drafted in to the Land Rover facility at Solihull to upgrade the monitoring systems to full production monitoring and control systems.
These now provide both local visualisation, to alert maintenance teams and assembly 'area' personnel, and factory wide viewing for management and software support staff.
The use of GE Fanuc's WebView has enabled management to view the process live on the company Intranet from anywhere in the world, using an Internet link.
In this section of the plant, the metal parts of the car body are brought together and welded to eventually make up the complete vehicle ready for spraying in the paint shop.
The body-in-white section of the plant uses 18 Andon overhead displays.
These are giant 8 by 4ft screens on which selective information can be output by the Cimplicity Plant Edition monitoring software.
They provide clear information of the status of production within that area of the plant.
They provide up-to-the-minute production figures and forecasts.
They can also alert personnel to potential problems such as 'blocked' or 'starved' buffers up ahead.
Cimplicity Plant Edition resides on the main PC server using a Windows 2000 platform and logs all the active data to an Oracle database server.
A hot-standby server provides the required backup should problems arise with the first system.
In order to link with the existing monitoring hardware, an Ethernet system was established using OPC.
This captures data via another proprietary system from PLCs throughout the body-in-white facility.
The total point count is around 30,000.
The 18 Andon screens and two PC viewers are also on the Ethernet network.
The viewers enable software maintenance and upgrades to the existing system.
In addition, seven GE Fanuc touchscreens on the network are located at strategic points around the facility.
These also provide 'viewer'-type access to around 30 different Cimplicity screens, providing useful localised information for production management and plant maintenance personnel.
Via the OPC link, further localised operator interfaces enable the machinery operators to alert other personnel within the plant to satisfy a local need for materials or to flag up a potential problem requiring maintenance.
Similarly, teams work in specific areas of the vehicle assembly section of the plant.
Here, 13 Andon screens provide localised information on the shop floor.
Four touch screens enable people, such as those in final inspection, to signal back particular concerns to an area via their Andon screen.
A PA system with specific 'ring tones' is also used to alert maintenance staff as they may be more wide spread across a larger area.
Five Viewers around the plant also provide access to the system for maintenance staff, for production management and for other personnel within the assembly facility.
The hardware system architecture is designed in a similar way to that in the body-in-white, though here the PLCs are attached directly into the network.
Total point count in this system is around the 48,000 mark.
Again around 30 different Cimplicty screens have been developed.
The paint shop monitoring and control system has also been developed by GE Fanuc to run under Cimplicity.
Around 90 PLCs are monitored by the system.
Here there are no Andon screens or touch screens.
Point count is around 27,000.
Although all the new systems were developed by two separate GE Fanuc teams, the overall project manager ensured a commonality of approach.
Thus standards have been developed for new systems.
In this way it is easier to maintain, and will be easier to enhance in the future.
Elements of the system in one area can be re-used for similar purposes elsewhere.
Operators have a real time view of what is happening in their area.
They can quickly and easily flag up potential problems and get them resolved immediately.
The introduction of Cimplicity Plant Edition has provided management with metrics of the performance of the facility.
Selective reports are produced from the historical database.
Thus, quality issues can be immediately identified and focused on.
The use of WebView also enables restricted access of production information on the Intranet from any location in the world. Request a free brochure from GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms UK ...
• GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms UK: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
