The year 2023 has been a year full of projects at Omag: among them is the installation of a new MES software on the workshop for the digitization of production and Industry 4.0. Today we take a closer look at this new software.
The MES – Manufacturing Execution System is a management system that connects corporate production planning data with machine data, reducing paperwork and enabling real-time time tracking in settings such as mechanical workshops. For all intents and purposes, the system is a conduit between corporate ERP and workshop machining centers.
In Omag, we decided to use this tool by declining it on two different fronts: the first concerns the scheduling and planning of production orders, and the other concerns the time tracking on board the machine by the operators. The workflow is thus structured on three different steps:
1) Production Orders (POs) generated within the management system are sent directly to the MES and are digitally scheduled by the shop floor scheduling office.
2) On the other hand, the operators on the machine, receive on PC the OP scheduling and detect the machining times directly from their stations. And that’s not all! The MES also interfaces with CAD/CAM design software in accordance with Industry 4.0 standards, thus eliminating the use of external hardware media for data transfer.
3) The data of the machines’ daily produced times and quantities are then collected and processed by the MES, validated and finally re-sent to the management system, eliminating paperwork and thus triggering the warehouse and inventory processes.
The ultimate goal is to optimize the work process by digitally monitoring, tracking and documenting the entire cycle, thus improving both mechanical production and machine performance.
The MES project involved several Omag departments: the IT department, the shop floor programming office, machining center operators, Daniele Paradisi (Operations & Supply Chain), under the supervision of Roberto Filippucci, Automation & Software Manager.