Plastics Manufacturing

Improving shop floor productivity through data and analytics is the first step in real-time monitoring. Manufacturing productivity solutions can supply the resources needed to collect valuable data that can identify areas for improvement, maximize resources, and provide ongoing visibility into the factory floor.

With Nulogy Smart Factory, you can be online within a day and one step closer to a truly efficient shop floor. Begin collecting data on when machines are running and when they aren’t, performance, quality, and availability metrics, OEE, and so much more.

Plastic manufacturing software can be the solution to the challenges you face on the plant floor. 

There are many benefits in implementing a manufacturing productivity solution as we mentioned above, but specifically, we’ve written out a few examples to show how.

Example 1: Consider a plastics mold that has 2 cavities and can create 2 bottles at a time. With Smart Factory, you can track that the machine cycled, and a machine makes 2 bottles. Note: The number of bottles in this scenario is just an arbitrary number, but the takeaway is that by using software, we can count both molds and parts, and track the cycles. 

Example 2: With the Nulogy Smart Factory solution, you will be able to track process data like pressure, vibration, or temperature. If a temperature dips below a recommended level, the software can alert you in real-time.

Yes, Nulogy has mobile apps available for both Android and iPhone users. Production teams can see availability, performance, and quality metrics, as well as receive alerts of problems on the floor.  The app gives manufacturers the ability to respond to real-time issues, immediately, rather than later when it’s too late.

In addition to a mobile app, production teams can receive daily production reports and alerts via email, as well as see performance metrics via various visual management tools like scoreboards, dashboards, and operator screens, all of which provide a complete view into the plant.

Manufacturing is in the middle of an evolution. As big data grows in many industries, manufacturers are beginning to implement and use a variety of software designed to create a smart, connected factory. Looking back, the industry has grown tremendously since the first synthetic polymer was invented in 1869. Today, plastics and injection molding manufacturing are worth roughly $96 billion. How does the industry continue to transform and grow? The answer is the use of data to improve and grow the plant.

Look around and you’ll see plastic everywhere – product packaging, medical devices, water bottles, the list is never-ending. Plastic is the third-largest manufacturing industry in the U.S. Yet, on the plant floor where those plastics are produced, most manufacturers have very little visibility into the efficiency of those processes.

With the sheer amount of products containing plastic, there needs to be a way to ensure the plant is running as productive and efficient as possible. The challenge of visibility is solved with manufacturing productivity software. Knowing when machines are up or down, replacing paper and Excel-based reporting, and being able to see and stop problems as they’re happening gives plastics manufacturers the ability to make data-driven decisions.

Implementing real-time manufacturing productivity software on the plant floor has transformed many industries, and plastics are no exception. As we move forward in Industry 4.0, big data and manufacturing analytics have the power to help the plastics industry grow exponentially.

But, how do you know which software to choose and which will ultimately help you grow? 

The answer is, well, dependent on your goals as a manufacturer. We can’t tell you which software is going to be the best for your plant because it’s completely dependent on your needs. What do you want to achieve? What improvements do you need to make? Do you have a budget in mind? Will you have a dedicated person or team managing the software? What are your training needs? These, and many more, are questions that need to be pre-determined before selecting a software solution. 

Of course, if you have questions, you can reach out to our team or schedule a demo. We’re happy to help point you in the right direction even if, ultimately, Nulogy is not the right fit for your company.