Blow molding machinery company Uniloy Inc. is launching a new IoT-based smart manufacturing system, Uni-Dashboard.
Uniloy partnered with ProManage in Chicago to create the dashboard with a focus on blow molding customers and providing information most important for that industry.
"I would say that we have something tailored for the blow molder and what's important for a blow molder to see, what type of data is it that really affects their efficiency and what they need to look at," said Jonathan Sönmez, vice president of machinery sales at Uniloy.
Uni-Dashbaord is not brand restricted — it can accept and collect data from multiple types of machines and there is no limit to the number of machines paired with the dashboard. Even machines in different locations can be a part of the same system.
"By using Uni-Dashboard today's manufacturing plants manager will be able to see a complete overlook of all of their production," Sönmez said. "Not only blow molding machines were also able to do injection molding, extrusion or rotomolding or other processes too," he added.
The dashboard is cloud based and runs off a subscription system to collect data. All Uniloy machines — current, modern or legacy — can be compatible with additional software.
The screens can be user specific with log in information to see performances on machines as the machine is running and updating production progress instantly.
Uni-Dashboard can also be integrated directly with current ERP programs and be fully compatible with industry 4.0 products.
Users can request maintenance on the machine and can record reasoning behind the request for the manager to review.
The subscription system is split up into three different levels.
Level one is a monitoring and awareness focus with only machine data. Uni-Dashboard will create detailed reports of production history with production quantities, cycle times and stoppage intervals.
The second level has more input for the user with the login information and being able to interact with feedback about the machine regarding downtime or scrap, for example. Technicians and operators can help discover the reason behind stoppage and scrap and use the data to improve productivity.
Level three will integrate the ERP system and be able to send specific jobs to a machine's screen for a user to accept. The user is also able to report back how many good products are manufactured and report back automatically.
An energy consumption kit is included in the subscriptions allowing the end user can see how many kilowatts of energy their consuming per job that they have register.
"Something that we believe that everyone is looking forward to try to find is what's going on cost wise and determine where they're able to help with energy savings," Sönmez said.
For a company to have world class efficiency levels they must be at 85 percent overall equipment effectiveness, and most plants are between 40-60. The data being collected by Uni-Dashboard can help the manager see where the focus needs to be to get to the right percentage.
Currently, there are multiple customers that were testing Uni-Dashboard and have had it installed over the last five months.
In other product news, Uniloy has also been updating and introducing new features to its machinery lines:
• A new coinjection process to focus on replacing glass containers with multilayer plastic options. The machines come in both hybrid and all-electric with either four, eight or 16 cavities.
• Updates to the Uniloy accumulator industrial blow molding machinery. The company has shipped three of the large machines and is in the process of building two more.
"The machine that we're about to ship in Q4 is for a brand-new customer to blow molding," said Chase Blasius, equipment engineering manager at Uniloy. "We're really focusing on a solution strategy for the customer so we're helping them kind of develop their whole blow molding process from the ground up."
• Uniloy is working with multiple customers to improve production and energy consumption in its reciprocating screw line.
"There's a lot of ongoing testing and prototyping going on. And it's not really a one and done type situation it's an ongoing process," Blasius said.