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Smaller is Better: Production Management Solutions for Greater Manufacturing Precision
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
- Networks & Connectivity - WiFi
Applicable Industries
- Semiconductors
Applicable Functions
- Discrete Manufacturing
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Manufacturing System Automation
- Condition Monitoring
Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
A semiconductor equipment manufacturer in Korea was facing issues with their production line monitoring and management. The existing system lacked important capabilities needed for efficient data collection, visualization, and utilization. Individual line workers had no means of quickly reporting production problems, and important information regarding the problems that did occur often went unrecorded, allowing them to reoccur with unacceptable frequency. The company’s most critical need was ensuring the ability to collect, visualize, and utilize critical data as quickly and efficiently as possible.
About The Customer
The customer is a semiconductor equipment manufacturer based in Korea. The company operates in a highly specialized industry that requires exacting precision and rigorous attention to detail. The manufacturing process takes place in clean room environments where temperature and humidity are strictly controlled and possible contaminants are eliminated to the utmost degree possible. The products manufactured are highly valuable, making any production line problems extremely costly. The company was facing issues with their production line monitoring and management, which were compounded by their production managers’ lack of clear information regarding production line status and the specific causes for any delays.
The Solution
To address the company's challenges, VETEC, Advantech’s WISE-PaaS Alliance VIP partner in Korea, installed Advantech’s WebAccess/SCADA on the factory intranet. Tablets connected to the WebAccess/ SCADA system were placed at key positions along the production line. Advantech’s WISE-4000 wireless I/O modules were also installed to provide real-time monitoring of key clean room environmental information. The WebAccess/SCADA software allowed production status information for each line worker to be linked directly to the SCADA server, which in turn allowed the production information to be recorded, processed, and analyzed for comprehensive management of the entire factory’s production status. The platform acts as a web server, making the dashboard display available to individual line workers and managers out on the factory floor via its connectivity to the WebAccess ThinClient tablets.
Operational Impact
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