Wittmann Battenfeld partners with ICE-flex on software
Wittmann Battenfeld is partnering with ICE-flex, a Saronno, Italy, developer of manufacturing execution system (MES) software, to offer software specifically designed for Wittmann Battenfeld injection molding work cells.
In September, Wittmann Battenfeld announced it had purchased a stake in ICE-flex and would begin selling a version of the company’s TEMI software, known as TEMI+. TEMI+ was developed to work with production cells enabled with Wittmann 4.0, the company’s Industry 4.0 technology.
Most MES software works only with injection molding machines and not auxiliary equipment, according to Wittmann Battenfeld. As a result, it has been difficult and expensive for processors to achieve complete and consistent quality recording and assurance. The auto industry increasingly demands that suppliers guarantee quality and traceability of parts.
TEMI+ software allows processors to monitor injection molding machines and auxiliary equipment. TEMI+ collects and evaluates manufacturing data from all devices involved in the production of a part to ensure the equipment is operating within parameters and to guarantee part quality. The software takes advantage of new communications standards available on Wittmann Battenfeld equipment enabled with Wittmann 4.0, the company said.
TEMI+ software automatically detects when auxiliary equipment is added or removed in the work cell via Wittmann Battenfeld’s “plug-and-produce” technology. Information collected from the injection molding machine and connected peripherals can be transmitted to a display screen for monitoring.
“Thus, the MES solution TEMI+ is always informed about the composition of a work cell and can adjust the display on the screen accordingly and without user interaction,” the company said.
“TEMI+ is the first MES software worldwide which supports and integrates mobile auxiliaries in molding plants through our Wittmann 4.0 technology,” Michael Wittmann, managing director of the Wittmann Group, said in a prepared statement.
The software monitors “all process parameters,” the company said. It also can make adjustments to bring the machines into specification.
TEMI+ consists of three packages. The basic TEMI+ package includes production planner, production monitor, data manager and OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) and KPI (key performance indicator) functions. The basic package controls the production cell and can adjust settings to ensure operations remain within specification and to optimize equipment effectiveness and performance.
The TEMI+ Advanced Package includes all the basic functions and adds features such as an alarm manager, a quality management system module and a maintenance manager module. These additional features improve both productivity and product quality while reducing machine downtime, the company said.
The TEMI+ Connect Package adds an interface to connect TEMI+ with enterprise resource planning and cloud services.
Wittmann Battenfeld is rolling out the new software in Europe in the first quarter; the North America launch will be in the third quarter.
Bruce Geiselman, senior staff reporter
Contact:
Wittmann Battenfeld Inc. Torrington, Conn., 860-496-9603,
About the Author
Bruce Geiselman
Senior Staff Reporter Bruce Geiselman covers extrusion, blow molding, additive manufacturing, automation and end markets including automotive and packaging. He also writes features, including In Other Words and Problem Solved, for Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, Plastics Recycling and The Journal of Blow Molding. He has extensive experience in daily and magazine journalism.