Tobacco Information Systems - The Unique Solution

INTRODUCTION  

Most cigarette factories have a mixture of Making and Packing machine types, many of which have some form of data collection capability. Trying to extract the data from all of the various machines types and presenting information centrally, has, in the past, proved to be extremely difficult due to the proprietary interfaces and protocols used by the individual machine suppliers. 

Isatec’s ISIS system is the solution to this problem. Developed specifically for the Tobacco Industry, the system is designed to eliminate the technical risks involved in putting together a factory-wide Data Collection and Information System. ISIS handles all of the various proprietary machine interfaces and protocols to bring the Production and Quality data from the machines into a common database. The ISIS web-based reporting system then accesses this database, via a web server, to deliver information, in a user-friendly format, to the desks of Managers and Supervisors, over the corporate network, Intranet, or a secure Internet connection. All an executive needs, anywhere in the factory, or indeed anywhere in the world, is a web browser to access real-time information from any corporate production facility equipped with an ISIS system. 

The software design, together with the fact that all communication above the machine level is in a standard Microsoft I Windows environment, allows the implementation to suit a particular factory operation. ISIS can be self contained or spread across networks. Originally developed for the Making and Packing areas of the cigarette manufacturing process, continual development has seen the introduction of Filter Making and Distribution, Case Packing, Quality Test Stations and Bar Code printers. 

As the software is designed to run on a Microsoft Windows platform, the hardware required for an ISIS system is readily available and can be purchased locally, reducing maintenance costs. In small factories, such as a nine machine installation in New Zealand, data collection software and the database can share the same desktop PC. In the largest installation to date, in the UK, with 200 connected machines and 50 users, the data collection computers and server are housed in cabinets in a separate computer room.  

IMPLEMENTATION  

The first step in any data collection system is to gather all the available information from the machines. As each machine type can use a different protocol and different hardware connection, a specific software program is needed to implement this protocol. The DDE driver performs this task, acting as a bi-directional pipeline to a higher level. It is responsible for polling for the required production and quality data from the machines at regular intervals, and can also send data to the machine at the request of a higher level program. The data stored in the DDE driver is highly machine dependant. 

Each machine type has different data available for collection, and this data must eventually be stored in a database. The data collected by the DDE driver must therefore be converted to a machine independent format, such as Maker, Packer etc. before storing it in a database. This task is performed by a Handler. The Handler also responds to commands from the database (e.g. to download brand parameters or shift times). It then follows the correct procedure for that particular machine in order to perform the task via the DDE driver. Isatec have developed a portfolio of some 30 different Drivers and Handlers over the past 10 years.   

The ISIS Web Based Reports, using the latest Microsoft .NET framework and scalable vector graphics (SVG) allows access to concise factory Production and Quality Information via the corporate network, intranet, or extranet. The same real-time and historical information is thus available to all factory departments from production planning to dispatch, as well as to personnel in remote HQ locations. The unique features of this software are selectable date ranges, chronological ordering of Brand runs and downtime analysis, ability to 'drill down' to show more specific information and the facility to tailor the information to individual user requirements.  

A set of Data Analysis tools is provided to allow the user to analyse the data stored in the database. It has the facility to export any data on the screen to Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet for manipulation, as well as to provide trend and graphical analysis tools within the module. An explorer facility is included to allow the user to create individual reports to complement the standard suite of reports. Data Analysis has proved very useful to engineering and maintenance department personnel, in the monitoring or evaluation of machine performance.  

A Brand change and Edit facility is provided for the setting up and editing of Brand parameters. Uploading and Downloading of these parameters to and from the machines is a feature of this software. The software also allows the remote changing of Brand on any machine. This can be done over the network or via wireless PDAs. 

THE FUTURE  

Isatec have recently signed a partnership agreement with a machinery supplier to develop the ISIS system further to allow remote monitoring of the performance of making and packing lines, and to integrate the data collection into an MES (Manufacturing Execution System), thus bridging the information gap between production data collection and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems. This will allow the tracking of production batches from work order to dispatch, and optimise time critical procedures such as Brand changes.