A Prodac production management decision system has brought significant benefits to a Coca-Cola plant in Nogara, Italy.

The Nogara plant has high speed canning and PET (plastic) bottling lines. Due to its production capability, even small improvements in yields or reduction in idle time can generate large financial savings on raw materials, labour and overheads. During peak months, the plant operates at capacity, so increased throughput can result in improved gross volume without any investment in machinery. Several different packaging machines can work together in over 50 different combinations on either canning line. Two or three sets of combinations can be operated at the same time with a different number of containers per case, and different nominal rates for each machine.

It was realised that, due to the tremendous volume of data that had to be processed accurately in real time, a computer based system for both data acquisition and information processing was required. The plant needed a system that could automatically integrate gather counts and other sensor data with production management data about the product, different standards of the product, shift, number of personnel etc. and store the data in such a way that it would be retrieved and analysed quickly.

Eventually it was decided to use the Prodac system that had been developed in co-operation with the Central Bottling Company of Israel.

The system accepts and integrates several kinds of data: automatically generated counting and sensor signals, manual sample values, planning, line supervisor reports about current product, breaks and reasons for stoppages, and configuration information such as standards. Automatic inputs include container and packaging throughputs in each part of the line, rejects, faults and stoppages, quality control sensor values, rates and syrup consumption. The system uses sensor data to determine if the stoppage was due to backup of product at the outlet of the machine, to lack of product at the input, to operator initiated stop or to a machine fault. It can attribute a stoppage to a specific fault if the fault is active.

Operational benefits in performance measures, throughputs and quality have been experienced. The system has helped in the following ways:

More production time and less paper work - an obvious benefit is that there is no longer a need to stop the lines for 1.5 hours to record throughputs. During the peak season, it is possible to run three shifts continuously producing an additional two per cent more cases per year with the same facility.

Less downtime - thanks to the monitoring system, it is no longer necessary to empty the line completely for counting purposes. Management has decided to run machines longer, leaving only enough time to empty and clean the filler. This has saved about 10 minutes of production time a day in off-peak season, resulting in an increase of 0.7 per cent more production.

Less rejects - reports and displays showed an excessive number of inspection area rejects. This was due to fallen cans that blocked the conveyor after inspection reject gate, causing good cans to be diverted through the reject gate. The system itself is now used to control the reject problem. When the difference between the counters on either side of the inspection area is over 70 cans in six seconds, special logic added by the developers sends a signal to the conveyor, so the problem can be correct.

Improved quality - reliable and continuous monitoring of quality parameters shows when a parameter is in tight control, so control limits can be narrowed to improve quality and uniformity. Quality graphs also help spot problems such as the use the wrong office for a new product.

The system has contributed by making everyone, from production floor personnel to top management, an aware participant in the achievement of quality and performance goals. Immediate feedback helps to spot and correct problems and keep production on track. Production managers use long term histories to spot chronic problems and follow up on the success of the solutions.

The reporting system has allowed complete automation of routine production reporting at the plant. Because data is gather on-line, managers get reports of what is happening NOW, instead of waiting at least 24 hours. Reports also allow in depth analyses by providing details and summaries of all data recorded for any period, in any desired cross section.

In the first full year of operation, mechanical efficiency rose by 3.5 per cent compared to the previous year. Similarly, line usage rose 5.4 per cent and filled losses fell by 25 per cent. The following year the plant achieved further increases of about one per cent in efficiently and approximately 20 per cent less filled losses. The system has contributed significantly each year in reducing labour costs , reducing raw materials, consumption and increasing throughput with the same fixed costs on the canning lines. It has also been installed on a new PET line, where it helped bring efficiency up by 14.3 per cent in several months. The system has also been installed at Coca-Cola's Corfinio plant.

Following the signing of an agreement with Prodac systems, Canongate Technology is marketing the production Information Systems, in the UK. The Prodac system has been installed on a high speed bottling plant at Martson's the independent brewer, and a system analysis is currently being carried out for a London-based company.

The system is providing real time production data.

System benefits include less downtime, less rejects and improved quality.