The plastics industry plays a key role in the Italian economy, where the sector is worth around 25 billion in turnover. The term plastic refers to numerous polymeric materials with different characteristics. Thanks to these different properties, plastic is a material that is also used and widespread in a wide range of sectors, especially packaging, construction and automotive.
Given the extension of the sector, plastic manufacturing companies face a series of complexities related to the management of an often extended supply chain, the need to optimize production processes and the pressure towards more sustainable practices.
In this scenario, the use of advanced technological tools to manage production can make a difference. Two tools designed to digitise production processes are APS (Advanced Planning and Scheduling) and MES (Manufacturing Execution System) software. Let’s see in more detail the characteristics of the sector, the peculiarities and the reasons for the success of these software.
The challenges of the plastics industry
The challenges that more and more companies in the plastic industry share concern the optimization of processes and the use of materials, in order to cope with a nervous and constantly fluctuating market. For some years now, international events such as pandemics, conflicts and natural disasters have significantly affected both the circulation of materials and prices and consumption. In the plastics sector, this instability is reflected in the need for companies to:
- To be able to react more quickly to unforeseen events by varying production schedules, maintaining control over other processes started or planned.
- Optimize production processes, avoiding waste of time and materials, to reduce costs and energy consumption.
- Ensure the quality and conformity of products to offer the best possible level of service to its customers.
- Monitor the progress of production in real time to ensure that the planned work schedules are respected.
In the field of APS and MES, two tools that have long established themselves in the plastics sector to respond to these and many other needs are CyberPlan and OperaMES, belonging to the Zucchetti tools ecosystem for factory management.
CyberPlan is an APS software that allows you to plan and schedule production in an advanced way, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness to changes in demand. OperaMES, on the other hand, is a MES system that offers detailed, real-time management of production operations, improving the control, traceability and efficiency of production processes. Together, CyberPlan and OperaMES represent a powerful combination to revolutionise the plastics industry, providing companies with the tools they need for more efficient and controlled production.
CyberPlan: advanced production planning
CyberPlan is an advanced planning and scheduling software designed to improve the level of customer service and reduce production costs. Through a series of advanced algorithms, it allows the planner to:
- Generate a feasible production plan;
- Take into account the constraints given by orders, production and supply times and production capacity;
- Evaluate different possible scenarios.
Thanks to simulative analysis, CyberPlan examines possible what-if scenarios in real time, in order to anticipate critical issues and allow operators to intervene. In doing so, it simplifies the decision-making process and improves the productive one.
The software integrates with the main ERP systems, expanding their functionality. Thanks to the integration, CyberPlan can operate on an up-to-date database from the management system and thus provide accurate information. But CyberPlan can also be integrated with other systems in the company, such as MES software.
OperaMES: real-time control and traceability
If CyberPlan is the tool that allows you to “see the future”, the most suitable software to keep the present under control is the MES.
Opera MES is used to collect production data and to show in real time the progress of the processes for each individual customer order. This means that, at any time, you can know:
- if the production is working at the expected pace;
- if there are rejects, where they occur and in what quantity;
- whether or not the machinery is working and why (faults, planned machine downtime, maintenance, etc.).
In addition to measuring these and many other essential parameters, OperaMES stores data so that it can analyse production trends over time. In this way, you have the opportunity to identify the problems, implement strategies to solve them and understand if they have had an effect.
In the plastic moulding sector, a suitably parameterised MES such as Opera becomes the ideal solution for production managers and operators. The interfaces are adapted to the particular needs of users in this sector. Intuitive and practical, they give fast access to the most relevant functions (OEE control, piece counting, machine status detection) as well as the consultation of documents, drawings and multimedia files useful for operators and maintenance personnel.
Added to this are specific features, such as the possibility of setting alerts (notifications or light/sound signals) associated with events such as requests for intervention, requests for authorization or even the end of a process.
The data collected through Opera allows you to monitor even the most strategic KPIs. Among the most used we find:
- OEE, Efficiency, Use, Quality;
- Identification of the causes of rejects and machine downtime;
- Average working and setup times per family/item;
- Learning curves.
Synergy between CyberPlan and OperaMES
We’ve seen the features of the two software, but how do they interact? And why is it useful to use them together?
As part of the planning, CyberPlan is able to dialogue with OperaMES mainly by releasing production orders. These can be conveniently consulted by operators in the factory, directly on the terminals on the machine.
Upstream of this activity, CyberPlan allows you to:
- check the availability of materials before launching the production order;
- assign the machining to the most suitable machines, arriving at the work sequence.
In essence, it allows you to start production quickly, with the peace of mind of having all the necessary resources at your disposal and having scheduled your activities in the most efficient order possible.
The integration between CyberPlan and Opera is bidirectional. In fact, the MES in turn provides the ODA with data of essential importance for increasingly precise planning. For example:
- the planner can know the progress of the orders issued, so as to know if the plan has been complied with or not and act accordingly;
- with the actual measurement of working times it is possible to use real standard times, obtaining an extremely truthful planning;
- knowing the efficiency of a machine or an entire department, allows you to calculate with greater precision the time required for processing;
- during the scheduling phase, having setup times available allows you to strategically predict machine downtime (by merging the processes or changing the equipment or materials used).
In addition, OperaMES stores historical data, allowing the reporting phase to verify whether or not working times have deviated from planned times.
Want to learn more? Join the webinar
As seen, CyberPlan and OperaMES offer significant advantages in digitizing processes, ensuring efficient and controlled production. CyberPlan, with its advanced planning and scheduling capabilities, allows companies to react promptly to unforeseen events, reducing costs and improving the level of customer service. OperaMES, on the other hand, provides real-time control of production operations, ensuring product traceability, quality and compliance, as well as optimising the use of resources and minimising waste. The synergy between these two tools creates an integrated ecosystem that supports more responsive and informed production management.
In view of the current and future challenges of the industry, Cybertec and Link Management are hosting a webinar in September, dedicated to exploring how these solutions can transform manufacturing in the plastics industry. During the event, industry experts will share best practices, case studies and insights on how to improve operational efficiency and sustainability through the use of advanced technologies.
Don’t miss the opportunity to discover how CyberPlan and OperaMES can revolutionise your company and prepare you for a more competitive and sustainable future. If you are interested in learning more about these topics in the webinar, you can already pre-register through the form below.