«Automated systems and complexes» as developer and systems integrator of MES-solutions.

One of the basic lines of activity of CJSC “Automated systems and complexes” consists in development, implementation and tracking of MES systems (manufacturing execution systems) applied at industrial plants.                                                               

Such company-wide line of activity, as automation, is a really “young” trend. Since 2004 our principal customers in the field of industrial process automation continue issuing challenges, which go beyond the scope of control systems, intended for workflow control only.

CJSC «Automated systems and complexes”, being an enterprise, implementing complex solutions in the field of automation, has resolved to put much effort in development of MES trend.

After conclusion of a number of contracts in 2004 a new department appeared under the name of “MES department”, which became an important division of CJSC “Automated systems and complexes”.

The department is developing. The number of staff is in continuous growth and for the time being is comprised by more than 20 employees: 4 main specialists, 5 principal engineers, 11 programming engineers.

Our enterprise was founded in 1989 and implements a whole range of solutions in the field of industrial automation.

Development and implementation of MES projects resulted in build-up of strong and efficient team of professionals, which is capable of performing a whole scope of works, needed for set-up of MES-system at your enterprise within the shortest time.
      

Since we possess a rich potential for development of complex solutions, we are ready to undertake execution of a complete scope of works, that is:

• MES design (RD department),
• engineering of computer networks (Computer and Networks department),
• delivery of equipment (Procurement department),
• manufacturing of non-standard equipment (Production department),
• arranging for automatic signal gathering and processing from automation systems (MES department),
• mounting, adjustment, after-sales service,
• build-up and integration of MES-system itself.

1. Production planning.

Production planning is one the most significant and complicated tasks set before MES-system. It is a matter of great importance to draw a high-quality plan within the shortest time, taking into account various factors, such as availability of stock, availability of equipment, importance of order, etc. On this will depend the rate of production, as well as quality of finished products.

• The basic functions of production planning are as follows:
• Reception from ERP-system or manual entry of sales (commercial) orders
• Analysis and correction of sales orders, generation of manufacturing orders on basis of sales orders
• Generation of daily-shift tasks and distribution of tasks for production and plants
• Stock reservation in storehouses and generation of requisitions for materials
• Generation of order status, tracking of order execution procedure
• Generation of requisitions for shipment of finished products on basis of executed orders
• Sending of order processing results to ERP-system

2. Normative preproduction planning.

The initial stage of production process is fitting-out. This stage is implemented by the following departments:

• Shopfloor engineering board
• Engineering department of the plant
• Reference data maintenance group (data-processing centre).

Process engineering includes a range of activities, aimed at achievement of technological availability of production process (GOST 14.004-83).
Technological availability of production pertaining to MES- system includes maintenance and tracking of reference data.

• Standard directories, created in connection with reference data:
• Directories with description of output and used stock.
• Directory of shopfloor production units (shopfloor structure, subdivided into separate workstations).
• Directories with description of manufacturing technique.
• Directories of quality control tasks and product assessment.
• Directory «Specification», including description of product mix.

Besides reference data aspect, the system implements functions of generation and maintenance of EDM (Electronic Document Management) with respect to electronic documentation history (in text and graphic format, generation and record-keeping of modifications, etc.)

3. Warehouse management system.

• Storage operation management (preparation, transmission and control of execution of tasks by warehouse workers).
• Acceptance, return, placement, stock-taking, acquisition and shipping of inventory holdings.
• Point-of-use storage of inventory holdings with possibility of setting and changing of warehouse topology.
• Stock (mix) management (automated selection of storage places for inventory holdings as per mix, batch, order, etc. and variation of given parameters).
• Accessing of real-time data about warehouse activities by warehouse workers and third parties, if necessary.
• Inventory flow accounting.
• Preparation of documentation for shipment and transportation of workpieces and/or products.
• Generation of quality certificate (pass certificate) for dispatched metal.
• Analysis of warehouse activities as per different set parameters.

4. Production records and material flow tracking.

The system performs collection, successive accumulation, storage and aggregation of all required data as per certain accounting unit, passing through this or that area, workstation and plant.

Automation of traceability process enables automatic identification of a product and workpiece at each processing area with reference to identification number of accounting measuring unit of physical parameters, control, testing and product acceptance results.

Traceability of output allows to determine location and condition of accounting unit at different production stages, starting with acceptance in the stockyard and finishing with shipment of finished products, with the view of stock accounting, detection of rejects and defects of manufacturing and processing procedures, as well as optimization of stock flow.

5. Quality control and product assessment

One of the tasks set before MES-system is implementation of quality control and product assessment system. The system «manages» user actions during all quality tests and assigns relevant status to production units. The system stores all data, gathered during production of each separate item, alongside with additional data, entered by operator. There are dedicated tools for product quality estimation, which should comply with requirements of process messages.

The system is comprised by several components:

• Collection and processing of chemical characteristics of product.
• Collection and processing of mechanical characteristics of product.
• Analysis of process variables.
• Automatic and manual entry of product defects.

6. Integration with corporate information systems (ERP)

To ensure perfect operation of MES-system it is necessary to establish its close integration with corporate information system (ERP).
At the stage of MES-project development our enterprise implements careful study of business processes, being a part of functioning or designed ERP-systems. At present we investigate the interfacing possibilities of two systems.

Standard implementations of MES and ERP systems imply interfacing in connection with the following trends:

• Reference data generation and maintenance 
• Production planning
• Production records
• Inventory accounting
• Marketing