You can improve OEE in your production line by up to 20 percent by introducing a new product from SL Controls, TOTALline. You can do this at a cost that is up to 50 percent cheaper than comparable solutions with similar features.
In addition, TOTALline improves decision making as well as delivering business efficiency savings. If you want to find out more about the product and its features, you can read the TOTALline pages of our website. This blog focuses on why and how we developed TOTALline, so you can get a better understanding of how it can benefit your business.
The Challenge
Every business is different, and every production line is different – different products, processes, machines, servers, software applications, and more. The goals of most businesses are similar, however. This includes operating more efficiently, improving OEE, reducing the resources required to operate the line, improving access to data, generating actionable reports from that data, and more.
Businesses face challenges in achieving these goals, however, not least of which is cost. There are also integration issues to consider particularly when you have machines, platforms, and software applications from different vendors. There are customisation issues too, i.e. there are products available that:
- Have some features you need;
- Lack other features you also need; but, instead,
- Have features you don’t need.
This leads to inefficiencies in implementation, confusion, and waste as you are paying for features you’ll not use. There’s also frustration as features you need are lacking.
This was the starting point for the development of our TOTALline suite of products – lines and plants have varied starting points, but everyone wants to achieve similar goals at minimal cost.
Of course, we could come into your business like other automation and controls solution providers to develop a system that works specifically for your business. This solves the customisation and integration challenges, but it’s an expensive option. We knew there was a better way.
So, the modularised TOTALline range of products was born – a multi-functional product that is easily tailored to specific needs.
It’s Not What TOTALline Does – It’s How It Does It
We have implemented individual and fully customised solutions for many customers that deliver the same results that TOTALline can achieve. In other words, it’s not what TOTALline does that makes it so innovative in the industry – it’s how it does it.
In addition, it’s the “how” that will deliver substantial benefits for your business.
SL Controls was able to achieve this because of our broad experience in implementing automation and controls solutions. We are unlike other vendors in this respect who may understand part of your line or a specific machine very well. We have the benefit, however, of having a complete overview of the process, enabling us to deliver integration, control, data logging, and data visualisation solutions covering your entire production line.
What TOTALline Does
By way of a very brief summary, TOTALline consists of a range of modules that:
- Automates and improves batch control changeover processes
- Enhances batch data integrity and improves traceability
- Enables machines to self-report
- Collects and logs machine, device, and line data centrally to provide actionable and meaningful reports
Benefits of TOTALline
The modular nature of the product brings a range of benefits to your business:
- You can customise the solution using the modules you need, leaving the ones you don’t
- Considerably less expensive than developing a solution from scratch
- As the core architecture of the modules is already in place, the system can be rapidly customised and deployed
- Easy to scale when you need additional features or if the needs of your business change
- Vendor-neutral so it will work whatever machines, systems, servers, platforms, or software you currently use
- Highly flexible so suits production lines in a range of industries including pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing
The OEE improvements you make by implementing a customised TOTALline solution will depend on your business, but we regularly see improvements in the 10-20 percent range.
In terms of cost, if you compare the product with a full-scale line batch and data solution, TOTALline is up to 50 percent cheaper. In other words, it’s a product that can make a significant impact on your business for the better while delivering impressive ROI.
