Packaging production requires IT systems developed specifically for this sector, systems such as those developed by Sirio informatica e sistemi, a software house based in Milan and part of Var Group specialized in the digitization of Italian SMEs

Sirio Business Unit dedicated to the Packaging sector can boast specific expertise in the segments of paper, corrugated cardboard, packaging and flexible packaging. An ecosystem that revolves in particular around the PAPER NG production optimization system and the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) SIPAC and PANTHERA, Sirio’s modular solutions with specific characteristics capable of satisfying the needs of this supply chain. Now in its third version, PAPER NG is one of the most advanced APS / MES (Advanced Planning and Scheduling / Manufacturing Execution System) on the market; in fact, it incorporates all the innovations envisaged by the Industry 4.0 paradigm to optimize the production and logistical flows of companies active in packaging. Let’s see how.

The 4.0 system for packaging production

PAPER NG represents a Cyber-Physical System (CPS), that is a computer system able to interact continuously with the physical context in which it operates on the basis of the so-called “3 Cs”: Computation, Communication and Control. These 3 elements combine to form a distributed architecture that processes data by drawing it from production (Computation); enables dialogue between people, machines and platforms (Communication) and directly manages functions and systems (Control).

The ecosystem integrated with the ERP

Sirio’s MES is an architecture created to interconnect with different data sources, easily integrated with corporate information infrastructures such as the ERPs already present in the company.

ERP software is the real brain of the company, governing all the management, administrative and accounting, marketing and sales parts. In particular, they represent an ecosystem that aggregates sales, purchase and production data to support business decision-makers, optimize processes, manage complex warehouses and also manage processes related to estimates, orders and invoices from mobile devices. In line with the current trend of greater use of smart working by companies, it is now common to be able to access ERP functions also from Mobile devices to, for example, archive, confirm and digitally sign any document that is required. What if the company is part of a multisite Group? No problem: an advanced ERP, such as those by Sirio, allows you to efficiently govern even the processes of the most structured and complex realities.

Finally, the Business Intelligence functions make use of the specific KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) of manufacturing which, in the paper sector, are attributable to the three coefficients of the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) indicator: availability, efficiency and quality.

The enabling factors of Industry 4.0

In packaging production, Sirio’s skills are embodied in the technologies of the Industry 4.0 universe that enrich and complete the Paper NG.

The Advanced HMI (Human Machine Interface) of the Sirio solution for Packaging allows the machine operator to know the processing performance in real time, through a graphic representation. The calculation is made with respect to typical manufacturing KPIs, such as OEE, to promptly intervene in the event of critical issues or inefficiencies in the production phases. Not only through the intervention of the employee: PAPER NG, in fact, can reprogram the production by virtue of the data detected by the sensors of the machines thanks to Cognitive Manufacturing which introduces an automation mechanism based on the processing of the configuration parameters of the plants with the product processing sheets. The IT / OT or the integration between Information Technology and Operational Technology also allows the machines to communicate with each other and to instantly verify the feasibility of a job, offering immediate visibility of the progress of the work. Finally, the Industrial Analytics present in Paper NG provide management with the information necessary to make fully informed decisions.

The support of production and logistics

Sirio’s solutions contribute to improve packaging production also by overseeing all logistical processes. PAPER NG, in fact, includes among its modules the WMS (Warehouse Management System) with which to track the movement of goods, from their entry as a semi-finished product to the final shipment of the finished product, and for all the intermediate phases thanks to the calculation technique WIP (Work in Process). The constant mapping of the roller conveyors, which identifies the filling level of the production lines, determines savings on storage costs and greater efficiency in warehouse flows.

If all this is combined with the scheduling ensured by the APS integrated into Sirio’s MES, then the optimization of production and logistics in the packaging market becomes a result that the company is certain to be able to achieve.

In practice, an integrated ecosystem for Packaging such as PAPER NG:

• SPEAKS AND THINKS IN YOUR LANGUAGE: integrating with the main ERPs on the market
• PROVIDES FULL APPLICATION COVERAGE: of production and logistics processes
• MAXIMIZES PRODUCTIVITY: it allows you to optimize the production plan and reduce downtime and material handling times with the control of all company levels
• IS PROACTIVE: it automatically reschedules production based on the data acquired from the lines and automatically generates alerts in relation to performance and downtime
• TRACKS THE WOKFLOWS OF MATERIALS: allows full traceability of reels, sheets and boxes, reducing stocks and improving customer response times, also allowing the recording of quality and non-compliance controls on the machine
• OPTIMIZES SHIPMENTS: allows the planning of shipments on the basis of the ready in stock and the schedule, optimizes loads in compliance with the delivery dates agreed and communicated to the customer, represents the shipping plan on cartography
• IS INTELLIGENT: it analyzes instant, historical and predictive performance; calculates KPI – Key Performance Indicator / OEE – Overall Equipment Effectiveness and speeds up decision-making processes
• IS ONLINE: it allows the use of the online production monitor via browser, online verification of the progress of orders line by line and the receipt of alerts via email on mobile devices.
• TRANSFORMS YOU INTO AN ENTERPRISE 4.0: PAPER NG is a fundamental element of the company’s Digital Transformation process, it implements the enabling technologies of Industry 4.0 and allows real-time alignment between all information systems and production lines.