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Software cuts data-handling and boosts uptime by up to 20%
ABB Robotics has released a modular software platform that streamlines data collection, visualisation and analysis in automated production facilities. It claims that the OptiFact platform will cut data collection and analysis times by 25%, and increase production uptime by up to 20%.
The platform allows users to collect, manage and analyse data from hundreds of factory devices, including ABB robots, to determine KPIs (key performance indicators) including cycle times and OEE (overall equipment efficiency).
Digitisation, the acceleration of sustainable manufacturing, and the Covid pandemic, have all contributed to an increased demand for automation. The number of robots sold worldwide has almost tripled over the past decade.
But growing reliance on automation has resulted in increasingly complex production environments, driving demand for tools that allow plant managers to collect and capitalise on the data gathered from their automation systems.
With the new OptiFact software, factory operators can determine the root cause of production errors and then use ABB’s RobotStudio Cloud to adjust robot programs to improve their performance.
“Across industries, we see a dramatic increase in the digitalisation of manufacturing as companies seek to increase the flexibility, efficiency and sustainability of their operations in the face of changing consumer behaviours and long-term global skilled labour shortages,” says ABB Robotics president, Marc Segura. “We are enabling this shift with software products that businesses need to accelerate their growth in today’s fast-changing market.”
OptiFact has already been deployed in several production facilities, including an automated automotive production environment, where it collects and analyses production process cycle times and other KPIs, providing visibility into the factory operations and reducing the time that experts are needed by up to 25%. The user has now added more than 580 extra robots to its operations.
Another pilot application demonstrated the software’s ability to identify production bottlenecks in production lines involving up to 20 robots. The user integrated OptiFact into its production environment in just two months. Once running, the software simplified data collection and the visualisation of KPIs such as cycle times and PLC alarms. Production time at the facility increased by up to 20%.
ABB is running a competition in which 20 winners will receive free access to OptiFact for six months, including access to customer support.
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