OPC UA
OPC UA integration
Connect machines and build information models.
Learn more →Case study · plastics processing
One data foundation
for 40 injection moulding machines
Heterogeneous controllers connected over OPC UA and Modbus, process and quality data in a shared time-series database, 90% less scrap through early detection of deviations.
Discuss a similar project
01
Background and challenge
A mid-sized plastics processing company operates 40 injection moulding machines from various manufacturers and vintages. The machines speak different protocols: some are accessible over OPC UA, others only over Modbus or proprietary interfaces. A unified view of production, quality and maintenance was absent.
Reporting ran through Excel exports that were manually consolidated after each shift. Quality deviations were only noticed at the next QA round, typically hours after they occurred. Scrap was the consequence, not only from defective parts but also from the rework that followed.
The objective was a consistent data foundation that brings machine data, quality data and manufacturing orders into a shared model, so that deviations become immediately visible and reporting ceases to be a separate task.
90%less scrap
40machines connected
1data model for all systems
0manual rework in reporting
Questions about this project
Which protocols were used for machine connectivity?
OPC UA for the newer machines, Modbus TCP and Modbus RTU for older plant. Some machines were connected via manufacturer-specific drivers and the data converted into OPC UA via a protocol converter. The SWIFT-BOX edge gateway served as the local collector, historising the data as time series and forwarding it to the central data foundation.
How was ERP integration implemented?
Manufacturing orders were pulled from the ERP into the data foundation via a standardised interface. Feedback on order completion happens automatically without a member of staff having to post the quantities. The basis for this is ISA-95, which models the layers between the machine floor and ERP.
Is a similar project possible for our production?
It depends on the machines and systems in use. An automation audit provides the answer: we inventory what is present, assess connectivity options and deliver a report with a clear recommendation. The audit is quoted upfront and the report belongs to you.
Similar starting point in your production?
We analyse your machines and systems and give you a defensible assessment of what is possible and what makes sense.
Discuss a projectRelated services for this project
Data
iniationOS
One shared data layer for ERP, MES and quality.
Learn more →Retrofit
Machine connectivity
Connect legacy machines without swapping the controller.
Learn more →Interested, but not ready to enquire?
An e-mail address is enough. We come back once with a short read on it, no newsletter.